Las Vegas Lights
by Miku Siran
Summary: She walked away without a goodbye. Without a word of explanation. Now five years later, murder will bring her back, but five years is a long time. Life goes on.......with or without her. Grillows. Sequel to Leaving Las Vegas
1. Nothing Like a Murder

Las Vegas Lights

Chapter One- Nothing Like A Murder

Thanks to Lady Heather, Nisha14, mj0621, Daydreamer1127, DrusillaBraun, CissaMalfoy, soliz, myfairlady, JacobedRose, and my wonderful Sergeant Happy Bunny for their reviews on Leaving Las Vegas.

Disclaimer: I have no ownership of any characters. No affiliated with CBS or the producers of CSI.

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"Have you seen anything like this?"

"No...it's like a battlefield in here."

Gil Grissom glanced up at his brunette partner. "D-Day indoors." he said.

Nick walked up to them. "This is insane. I don't have enough markers to mark all these shots fired." he complained.

"Improvise Nick." Grissom said bluntly.

Nick nodded. "Right." he said walking off to work with Warrick and Greg.

Sara and Grissom went back to work, processing a scene too big for the CSI team, especially with one missing.

"Wow way close up shot." Sara noticed at one of the dead vics.

Grissom moved around her to get a closer look. "Straight in the back of the head. Either the killer had a damn good aim or he was standing two feet away from our deceased."

"Which is more likely?" Sara pointed out.

Grissom half smiled. They continued to work until they ran out of film. As they got up to grab another roll from the CSI van, Sara leaned over and kissed Grissom gently on the cheek.

"Nice working a murder with you."

"It's what we do everyday." He responded.

"Yeah. That's why I like it."

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"Anthony Johnson, you are under arrest for the murder of Diana Pierce. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. You have the right to decline counsel."

"Yeah yeah yeah." The perp muttered as he was led into a squad car.

Catherine Willows shut the car door with a brisk manner and smoothed back her long strawberry blonde hair. The badge at her waist glistened in the Montana sun.

Back in the squadroom, the cops were celebrating and Catherine was in the center of attention. She had made the arrest, cracked open the case, and the Montana PD couldn't be more pleased. Wine for the occasion.

"Detective Willows?"

Catherine turned. "Yeah?"

"Message for you."

"Thanks." She said, taking the phone from another cop, heading outside of the noisy room.

"Hello?"

"Catherine?"

"Eckie?" She said with a surprise in her voice.

"Yeah hey. How have you been?" he asked politely, trying to make some small talk before he asked her for a huge favor.

"I've been good."

"You rusty at being a CSI?" He asked, only half joking.

Catherine made a face. "Never. I'm guessing this isn't just a friendly call."

"Wow you're still good." He replied. "We got a big case. Shout out in one of Braun's casinos. Over one hundred shots fired."

Catherine whistled. "Wow. I'm guessing you need me."

"You guessed right."

"Let me think on it and see if I can take a vacation. Call you back. Same number?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." She said hanging up.

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"Hey Lindsay?" Catherine said, walking into the barn that she knew her daughter was in.

Catherine couldn't believe that she was back in the place where she had grown up. Her daughter sitting in the same stall that she had spent so much time of her childhood. It was nice to be home, but a small part of her still missed the city lights. But with those lights came dark memories…memories that Catherine would rather not relive.

"In here." Came a voice from one of the stalls in the back.

Catherine poked her head in to find her daughter grooming a spotted mare. "She looks good."

Lindsay beamed. "Yeah she sure does." She replied, moving to check the mare's hooves.

Catherine leaned against the stall door and looked the horse over, before mentioning what was on her mind.

"Ecklie called."

Lindsay's head snapped up. It had been five years since her mother had had any contact with anyone in their old life. Their life in Vegas. Sin City. Her mom had decided to move them back to her hometown under the thought that maybe what happened in Vegas would really stay in Vegas and that neither of them would have to live with the memory that Catherine had been forced to kill her husband…Lindsay's father.

"And what?" she asked looking at Catherine unblinking.

"I think I need to make a trip back to Vegas."

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know."

Lindsay put down her brush and went over to her mother. "Mom, whatever you decide is fine with me."

"So is it okay if we go back, just until this case is closed?"

"I'm fine with it."

Catherine wasn't convinced. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

Lindsay flashed her mom a lopsided grin. "Mama, you got all your siblings coming over everyday to make sure I'm happy here. I think I can handle it. Afterall, I can't miss school and I need to know what's going on in Vegas in case you decide we're going back."

"Who said we were going back?"

"Just a hunch."

Catherine smiled at Lindsay. The younger version of herself.

"Alright psychic I'll catch the early flight out and call you when I get there."

Lindsay wrapped her arms around her mom. "Have fun." She said as Catherine kissed her on the side of the head.

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This was short and sweet. Just providing a little intro to the story. More on the way I promise! Lots of twists in the story. Just the way I like it. Hehe


	2. Beauty of Sun and Sand

Chapter Two- Beauty of Sun and Sand

Thanks to CissaMalfoy, Daydreamer1127, slayer-p, JacobedRose, soliz, Picard's Angel, myfairlady, KWillows, DrusillaBraun, Pandy Roxy Chickand my amazing Sergeant for reviewing so fast and making me wanna update this.

Disclaimer: I own no characters. Sadly…

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Catherine stared out the window on the plane. She could've driven back to Las Vegas, but Ecklie had wanted her in as early as possible, which meant taking the first flight out of rural Montana and arriving in the bright lights of Vegas that evening. She leaned her chin on her hands and gazed at the dark clouds that they passed. Each one looked different, but they were all the same.

_Back to Vegas. _She thought with an ironic smile.

It seemed like she couldn't stay away. Whatever had pulled her to Vegas when she was eighteen was having an affect on her again. This time, however, it was different. Part of her knew what it was. The other was not yet ready to admit it. After she had left, she had spent nights missing her job, her friends, and most of all her former boss. The last part had yet to make sense to her. She had taken a job with the Montana sheriff department to try and get rid of all her thoughts. Her experience with forensics and keen eye had promoted her up to the rank of detective very quickly. People in that small town, still remembered her, still disapproved of her, but with that job, she managed to gain the respect of the town she had left behind. She worked long hours and the times when she wasn't working, she was with Lindsay. Of course, she didn't need to work. Sam had taken care of her, like he said he would when she left the glitzy glamour of Vegas. She just chose to work, because it had become habit.

Her job, however, did not help her sleep at night when Grissom crossed her mind. She missed him dearly. His sarcastic humor, his quirky ways of doing things, the way he always stood up for his beliefs. She almost even missed his bugs. Almost anyway. She wondered what he was like now, if time had thawed out his heart of ice, or if the harshness of the world had preserved it.

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They were calling it a night. Sara unlocked the door was Grissom followed her in. Both headed for the kitchen to cook up breakfast. Grissom at the stove, Sara sitting on the counter. She was less than talented in the kitchen. No sense in burning things up when Grissom could do everything with ease.

As they ate, their conversation turned to the case at hand.

"What do you think about it?" Sara asked between bites of a bagel.

Grissom shrugged. "Gunfight in the middle of the casino. Only four bodies."

Sara rolled her eyes. "I mean who do you think would do that?"

"I haven't decided yet. No evidence to back up any theory yet." He replied.

She shrugged. "Fine, but I don't believe that you don't have an opinion. Tomorrow we'll find out what it is when we go back to the crime scene."

Grissom's expression didn't change. "Sure." He said.

Sara let the silence hang over them. Sometimes she didn't get him. They were engaged. They had been dating for almost a year now, and something had compelled them to take it to the next level. She was content with him. He was with her. They had been close friends before turning their relationship into an actual relationship. A small part of her still wondered though, how much of him still thought about the strawberry blonde that had left so long ago.

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As Catherine headed out of the airport, she was greeted with the desert. Beauty of sun and sand. She put on her shades and ventured out into it.

To her surprise and disappointment, it was Ecklie who picked her up. She tolerated the man, but had no affection for him. She had thought it would be Brass, but then again, five years was a long time. He could have not been working for homicide anymore. More than anyone though, she had wished Grissom had been there to greet her.

"We've got a shootout in one of Braun's casinos. Four dead." Ecklie informed her without even saying hello.

She chose not to say anything about it. "Alright. Let's head there now."

Ecklie turned to glance at her. "The CSI team doesn't know you're coming."

Catherine's eyes widened. "What?" She gasped.

He didn't look at her. "Yeah, in case you haven't noticed Catherine. You left on a sour note. No good-bye. No explanation. I was the one who told Grissom you left. They aren't very happy with you about that, especially him. He almost took my eye out with the tantrum he threw. I'm making sure trouble doesn't start before you arrive."

Catherine looked out the window. _What about when I do? _She wondered in silence.

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Catherine strode onto the crime scene with more confidence than she expected. It was familiar. Her, a crime scene, and lots of evidence for her to find and piece together. It was a haven for her. Her first sight of the scene was not of surprise but of interest. She had never had a scene like this. And it fascinated her. Nick was the first to catch sight of her. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Must be the heat or I've been working too much." He said, gaping at her.

Warrick looked up and froze as well.

Catherine smiled as she walked up to them. "Miss me?" She asked.

Warrick's face broke into a smile. He enveloped her in a huge hug. Tight and warm.

"Missed you lots Cath." He said in her ear.

She fought back a rush of tears. She hadn't thought a reunion with the people she had come to call family would touch her so deeply.

"Likewise." She murmured. Her attention turned to Nick, who wasn't smiling.

His expression had turned to a stony coldness that Catherine had not even known he was capable of. He turned on his heel and walked away. Catherine looked at her feet, feeling the unease fill the room like water filling up a hole. She deserved it. She had messed up and now she was paying for her mistake. She didn't know that Nick's anger toward her was only the beginning in a long string of debts that she had yet to pay.

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She focused on her job. Working always helped. Greg flashed her smiles every now and then. It was clear, even after so long, she hadn't lost any of her talent with blood, DNA, or GSR. She was still a CSI at heart. Catherine wondered if you ever truly stopped being a CSI. She also wondered where Grissom and Sara were. They were the true workaholics of the team, but at the moment, neither of them was there.

It sparked her curiosity. She didn't have to wait long for the answer.

Moments later, she spotted to figures heading in the scene's direction…hand in hand. She stared in surprise. As they approached closer, they froze as well.

"Catherine?" Gil Grissom stammered quietly, not believing his eyes.

Catherine's smile was almost tearful. "Hey Gil," she said gently.

His mouth was open and his eyes were wide.

Catherine laughed and approached him with another smile, warm down to its core.

"Are you gonna keep gaping at me, or give me a hug?" she asked, as Grissom's arms wrapped around her.

She caught his scent. It rushed through her body and made her quiver slightly in his embrace. His touch sent shivers down her spine, and even though she resisted her feelings of temptation, she realized that fighting them was a waste of time and effort. Her heart would want him anyway.

"It's good to have you back." He murmured in her ear, and meant every word of it. Her in his arms felt so right. So perfect. He never wanted to let go.

Sara watched this exchange with cold eyes. She loved Catherine. Catherine was one of her friends, even after she left, but seeing Grissom embrace the strawberry blonde, Sara couldn't help but feel a rush of jealous along with a flash anger. When they broke apart, she gave Catherine a forced smile, before walking toward Nick to work and to vent her frustrations.

Catherine was left with Grissom by her side, but with an uncomfortable expression. She knew what Sara had seen, and what she, herself, was guilty of. She knew, even if Grissom was oblivious to it. Catherine Willows knew. And she knew that the road to mending the fences she had kicked and broken would be paved with tears, pain, and anger.

She just wished she knew where the road led. Hatred…or forgiveness.

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Hope you liked that! More on da way!


	3. Lips of an Angel

Chapter Three- Lips of an Angel

Thanks to Nisha14, Pandy Roxy Chick, Daydreamer1127, DrusillaBraun, KWillows, CissaMalfoy, starkidtw, myfairlady, mj0621, CanadianHalliwell, Nisha14, and JacobedRose, for their reviews!

Srg. Happy Bunny. Your cadet believes that if you don't like conflict then you don't like to read because conflict is the basis of every story.

Disclaimer: I (sadly) own no characters and it deeply pains me to say those four words. Five if you count the one in the parentheses.

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She knew. She didn't know how she knew but she knew. The ring. The slight touches of affection. Catherine Willows knew that Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom were in love… She hated every minute of it.

Grissom wasn't faring much better. He sneaked glanced in Catherine's direction, unable to focus on his job, something totally unlike him. Sara was prodding him.

"Earth to Gil." She said, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Yeah what?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "We're packing up. I got all the tapes from the security cameras, Nick's already started the trace on the bullets, Warrick and Greg on questioning witness. Catherine…I don't' know what Catherine's doing."

Catherine overheard. "Just finished the blood. Velocity suggests that only shooting occurred only that guy…" she pointed to a fallen figure lying spread eagle on the floor. "Was shot from only one or two feet away."

Grissom raised an eyebrow. "An execution?"

Catherine nodded. "Looks like it. What was that guy's name again?'

Sara had a confused look on his face.

Grissom, however, didn't miss a beat. "Gary Helphstine."

Catherine snapped her fingers. "Right. I'll call him in and get him to sharpen up those video tapes. Cameras were low on batts. Made images blurry."

Sara scoffed. "Guess Sam doesn't waste money on security."

Catherine sent Sara a challenging glare. "Care to run that by me again." She said dangerously, her blue eyes flashing.

Sara backed down, not willingly to challenge a strong willed former dancer in her father's casino.

Grissom played peacemaker. "Let's pack it in." he said slowly, as the two girls shot daggers at each other, former friendship no doubt on the rocks.

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Later that night, Grissom and Catherine were sitting in front of a computer, eyes squinting at the blurry image on the screen.

"Does that look like a guy to you?" she asked.

He moved closer, until his breath could be see on the screen.

"Gil!"

"Sorry." He murmured. "Yeah looks like it.

"He looking around funny." Catherine observed.

Grissom nodded. "Got a bump in his pocket too."

"Think he's the guy that started all this?"

"Don't know." Grissom replied lightly.

He was holding himself back with iron control. Catherine was so close to him. So close yet so far. She was there, but she wasn't his. She wasn't his to hold, to kiss, and to love. She was like a butterfly. Out of his reach, but fluttering around his nose with a teasing manner. He loved it and loathed it at the same time. She has changed. No doubt about it. There was a confidence about her that was stronger than before. It was as if going home, she had gone back to her roots and replanted herself, more firmly on her feet. He caught scent of her perfume. Rose the scent of passion and seduction with a trace of jasmine…grace and elegance. She was all these things and so much more.

Catherine Willows tried her best to keep her gaze focused on the computer screen and not the bearded man beside her. Sara was out running another trip back to the casino for a bullet casing that may have been missed. Now here they were. Sitting together, working a case, just like they used to do. Just like they used to do before life set in. Catherine looked back now and realized that with or without her, life in Vegas moved on. She wasn't there to follow and had been left behind in the tide. Grissom was one of the things she and given up when she left. Now Catherine was paying the price, a price she wasn't sure she could afford.

Grissom couldn't' stand it anymore. Refused to stand it.

"Catherine?

"Hmm?"

"How long have we known each other?"

Catherine spun in her chair to face him. "Wow a decade… maybe." She said.

He lowered his eyes. "I've never lied or kept a secret from you in all that time."

She nodded. "Neither have I." she said, feeling her throat tightened at that lie.

"But I'm lying now. I did keep a secret from you. A dark one that I never wanted you to find out." He said softly.

She tilted her head to one side, letting the moon catch the reflection in her eyes. Soft, adoring. "It's okay, you can tell me."

He opened and closed his mouth as his throat closed off. Her cell phone went off. She didn't answer it for a moment, pausing. He shut his mouth. She bounced out of her chair and into a corner of the lab, pulling the cell phone from her waist, deeply apologetic.

One moment in their life…one moment that would have led them to happiness…gone.

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"Mom!" Came a delight voice over Catherine's cell phone.

"Hey babe," Catherine replied, glad to hear her baby's voice. "How's it coming?"

"Awesome. Been running around like mad in school, but holding down the fort."

"Great job Cadet. I'm still working on the case, but I'll be home as soon as I can." She said twirling a lock of strawberry blonde hair around her finger.

"Sure." Lindsay replied. "I'll be around, call me later then."

"Will do." She said, hanging up. No good-bye necessary.

It was a miracle to Catherine how much she and her daughter had bonded over the past few years. They had hit some hard spots with a rebellious phase Lindsay went through, but they came out of it okay. Catherine stuck her cell phone back into her pocket.

"What were you gonna tell me?" she asked Grissom.

He only shook his head. "Nah, it was nothing." He said. No amount of prying she did afterward made him voice his thoughts.

After a while she let it go. "I need a nap." She said, sighing, and rubbing her eyes.

He nodded. "Same, Sara's probably home by now, I should be getting back to her."

Catherine didn't like that, but she held her tongue. "Alright. I guess we should call it a day."

"Or night…" He said grinning.

She smiled back as she headed out the door, making his heart tightened at the sight of her retreating back.

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"Working late?" Sara asked from her position on the bed.

"Yeah," Grissom said changing into his pajamas.

The sun was rising but this was their night. Sara was dressed in a nightgown with a book in her hand. Her dark brown hair was let down and her brown eyes were questioning. She had been home hours earlier, at the end of their shift. She had gone home. Grissom hadn't. It pained her to know that their agreement of never working late without the other was no longer important to him.

They didn't speak. Silence lingered. It was so usual now, neither of them thought much of it. Grissom in his usual silence. Sara absorbed in the words of Emerson. The phone rang. Sara look irritated so Grissom rushed to handle it. He was surprised at the voice on the other end.

_Honey why are you calling me so late?_

_It's kinda hard to talk right now._

_Honey why are you crying? Is everything okay?_

_I gotta whisper cause I can't be too loud._

"Catherine, what's he matter? Shhh….what's wrong?" Grissom asked, concerned laced in very fiber of his quiet voice, as he moved out of the bedroom.

"Grissom?" Catherine cried. "It's Sam. He was just shot…in front of me. He's dead. He didn't even make it till the ambulance showed up." Her voice broke off in hysterical sobs.

"Catherine shhh. It's okay. It's okay." He said, longing to take away the pain Catherine was feeling.

She didn't need this. He kept his voice low. Sara was in the next room. The last thing he need was a confrontation with Catherine in her weakened state. His wished Sara was Catherine. Catherine was so much more feeling. Sara had her job and a coldness that Grissom found unnerving at times.

"Grissom I need you so bad right now." She whispered

_Well, my girl's in the next room_

_Sometimes I wish she was you_

_I guess we never really moved on_

_It's really good to hear your voice saying my name_

_It sounds so sweet_

_Coming from the lips of an angel_

_Hearing those words makes me weak_

"I wish I could be there with you." He said almost wistfully.

That seemed to jar her out of her sobs. "Sara's with you?"

"She's in the next room." He said with a slightly bitter tone in his voice.

Catherine sniffled in the phone, but seemed to gather her composure. "It's alright I'll be fine. I don't' even know why I'm calling. I just…"

He didn't need an explanation. Not from her.

_I never wanna say good-bye_

_Girl you make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel_

"It's alright. I wanna be here for you Catherine." He said softly. "I always wanted to be there for you."

"Likewise." She said just as softly and gently. "But life keeps throwing curveballs and I keep missing the hits."

"I'll make sure better days are coming for you." He said. "I've missed you."

_It's funny that you're calling me tonight_

_And, yes, I've dreamt of you too_

_And does she know you're talking to me_

_Will it start a fight_

_No I don't think she has a clue._

"Catherine, don't think too much about Sam. Death is nothing but the next adventure. You need to carry on. There are people who need you…" he said, biting his tongue when he almost added _including me._

_I never wanna say good-bye_

_You make it hard to be faithful_

_With the lips of an angel_

"Alright." She paused. "Thanks Grissom. I needed that. I needed to know that at least one person is gonna be there for me." She said her voice overwhelmingly emotional.

Grissom's tone turned deadly serious. "Catherine, I'll always be here for you. No matter what."

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He had walked away surprisingly. He had shot Sam Braun, in front of his daughter. In front of a million people and yet he was still alive. That was perfect. Catherine Willows had to pay. She had put away his brother. He had committed suicide in prison. It was all her fault. One at a time, he would make her pay.

The casino shootout was started unintentionally. He wondered if Catherine would be able to figure it out. He hoped she would, then she would know that those people would have died for nothing and every life after theirs would be her fault. He would take away the people closest to her. Have her watch them die and then when she was broken, he would shatter her. He loved it. Revenge was the sweetest wine no winery could make.

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Hehe I had to throw in a twist there! It's so much more fun that way. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the love!


	4. Tidal Wave

Chapter Four- Tidal Wave

Thanks to Dardeile, Daydreamer1127, CissaMalfoy, x-Christa-x, soliz, CanadianHalliwell, Nisha14, and myfairlady for their reviews! Thanks!

Sergeant I'm glad you do. Hehe Don't you just love the nickname I gave you?

Disclaimer: Only in my nonwaking hours do I own anything pertaining to CSI: Las Vegas.

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She was there before the sun set. Her hair up in a ponytail and kit in hand, back in the casino, only now it looked different. It was completely different. Sam was dead. Sam the owner of it, the one she used to sit in the glamorously embellished office upstairs and drink with. He was a lousy father, and a money mongrel, but she had loved him. She missed being called "Muggs." Missed the fact that she could confront him on anything and not expect to be reprimanded. She secretly wondered how her mother would react at the thought of Sam dying right in front of her. The idea made Catherine grimace.

"You okay?" Warrick asked as he approached her.

She forced a smile. "Working helps."

"Best therapy known to man."

"And woman." She retorted

Warrick had to smile. "That wicked sense of humor. Makes me wonder how we ever got along without you."

She laughed. Chime in the wind before turning to the mess before her. Nick was watching, obviously wanting to come over, but refusing. He was still angry. Catherine could not blame him. She buried herself deeper in the world of DNA, blood, and fibers, refusing to think on it. Soon she was lost in it.

Warrick noticed this and approached the former Texas football player, gingerly. 

"Hey Nick,"

He turned and fixed an unusually cold brown eye on him. "What?"

Warrick found his tone must to his distaste. "Cut her some slack, man. She's been through a lot."

Nick's face grew dark with rage and he choked out his words. "Tell me Warrick, what about us? Forgive me for being selfish, but she waltzes outta here without a backward glance, without a second thought. We didn't just lose a CSI and mentor, but we lost a friend, or someone we thought was a friend. We had to right ourselves back on our feet without her. And now after we finally do, after all this time, she walks back in and wreaks havoc on our lives. She ran away Warrick. She ran away instead of standing her ground and facing what was haunting her. She walked away from us and this town, and now she's back suddenly. I'm not gonna let her think that her coming back all of a sudden just to help us with a case is gonna make everything okay, when everything it's not." He said bluntly.

Warrick was shocked. Nick was probably the warmest member on the team. The only one that probably could not commit murder during their last little philosophy talk, yet now here he was, refusing to give the woman that had trained him and mentored him a second chance. The one that had helped propel him to one of the top CSIs in the nation.

He didn't understand what had come over him. He let it go.

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Sara was in the worst mood known to man…or woman. It wasn't the fact that she had overheard Grissom talking to Catherine the night before. It was the fact that he failed to mention it to her and when she asked, he just said a friend. _What was going on? _She wondered. She had built their relationship from the ground up. After Catherine had left, Grissom had been a wreck. He had been depressed, snappy, even to the point where Sara had wondered whether or not he would lose his job for being uncivilized. Sara had worked hard to fix that. She refused to let some former stripper walk away with her man, even if she had been a former friend. Sara was a fighter. She knew Catherine was too, but now it was down to wills. She envisioned a catfight in the future.

Her work was her top priority, however. Nick was by her side when she knelt down to process. He looked at her with sympathy and understanding. She knew Catherine had hurt him when she left. He had crushed on her only to have her break his heart. She had been his shoulder to cry on. Now it seemed to be in reverse. Grissom. Sara could see how he could leave her for Catherine. He had always loved her. She wondered what was it about that woman that would take away the man in her life.

Nick placed a hand on her arm. His eye and silence spoke volumes.

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Cell phones went off. For some reason it was only Catherine and Grissom. From across the room, the two exchanged glances, slowly answering under the staring eyes of the other CSI's. They were not unfamiliar with the incident. Surprised? Yes. But it was not unfamiliar. Before Catherine had left, calls always happened that way. They would call the supervisor and the second-in-command. The only difference was that Catherine was not the second-in-command anymore. Sara was. The Robins seemed to have a clear idea of who was more suited to the role.

"Willows."

"Grissom."

Silence. Nods. Mmm- hmms. Both their faces grew pale.

As they hung up their phones, they exchanged another glance. Grissom looking away and taking a step back, clearly indicating that Catherine would be the one to break the bad news. She didn't back away.

"Two bodies have been stolen. The ones containing the bullets." She said darkly.

Stares.

"How did that happen?" Greg asked, being the first to speak.

"Some from the inside. Had access to the lab." Catherine noted.

"I'll get the list of suspects." Sofia said walking toward them, having just gotten off her own cell phone and hearing the news.

Nick looked grim. "That means we got another crime scene."

"Unless it's a separate case." Grissom spoke up.

Sara looked annoyed. "Who else would steal one of the bodies? The guy who did this. Duh! Simple."

Catherine looked skeptical, but didn't verbalize it. Something just didn't fit. She chose to keep her mouth shut to avoid further aggravating Sara. Catherine wanted to get in, solve the case, without starting WWWIII.

"Well that means we have a second scene to process, connected or no." she said, playing peacemaker.

Nick's eyes softened for a moment at Catherine's attempt for peace, but he quickly fought it down. She didn't see.

"A few of us will head back to the morgue. Process that scene. Some of us will stay here." She said, looking at Grissom.

He was the supervisor. It was his role to make the next plan of action. He was agreeing.

"Ok since Sara's my second. I want her here. Miss nothing. Without the bullets we can't do firearms comparisons. Finish up this scene; find the bullets of the other two victims. Nick and Warrick you stay here with her. Back her up. Catherine and Greg, you're coming with me. Sofia call Brass. His retirement is over for the moment. Have him question the witnesses here. Sofia you're with us." He commanded, voice soft, but the softness emphasized it's impact.

Everyone obeyed, even Sara who was not sure she liked the arrangement.

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Grissom drove. Catherine…shotgun. Sofia was driving off the pick up Brass, while Greg was taking the other Tahoe and following behind them.

"Brass's in retirement?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah. Been there for a few months, though he volunteers to come back when we need help." Grissom replied.

"Like now?"

"Like now."

"Catherine you've been away a long time."

"I know."

Grissom let silence linger. He didn't know what to say. A million things were on his tongue, but his throat closed and silence lingered.

She looked thoughtful, and her hands were clasped together in her lap. Unlike what she used to do.

Grissom noticed this, wondering why she wasn't leaning toward the radio turning it on to rock and then bobbing her head to the music with her legs propped up on the dash, making jokes, bantering with him, and treating him with charming smile and sarcastic words. It was unlike her. It unnerved him.

"How was Montana?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Quiet." She replied with a smile.

He laughed. "Not much of that here."

"Never."

"So you a cop now?"

Catherine thought it over. "I'm not sure. I don't think you ever stop being a CSI but a cop is the second best choice when a CSI is something that brings back painful memories for you." She mused.

"Are we the memory?" he asked quietly.

She looked him in the eye. Blue eyes locking with his.

"If I say yes, will that make me coming back here a bad idea? Will it make me sitting here facing you a bad idea?" she asked softly.

He could not break away from her gaze. The blue eyes spoke of something deeper, something he desperately wanted. Something he had convinced himself he would never have. He opened his mouth. No sound. The intensity in her eyes was fervent. Flame in water.

Neither of them saw it coming. Neither predicted it.

A tidal against the driver's side. Metal scrapping against metal. Glass shattering and falling around them, both desperately trying to wrap them minds around what was happening. What twist fate has thrown in their faces. The car veering of the road. Catherine opened her mouth and screamed, before a second wave silenced her cry. Grissom reached for her hand, he never touched it. Darkness. Silence.

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WHOOOO MORE USE OF SYMBOLISM!


	5. Far Away for Far Too Long

Chapter Five- Far Away for Far Too Long

Thanks to Daydreamer1127, KWillows, CanadianHalliwell, jwoods471, JacobedRose, CissaMalfoy, El Gringo Loco, Nisha14, mj0621, and DrusillaBraun for reviews!

Sergeant…it's CSI, not Halo okay?

Disclaimer: Nothing is owned by me. I wish the characters were mine though….Nick is hot…ok sorry had to throw that in there. Again, nothing is owned by me.

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Greg was out of the car before his mind even registered what was going on. Phone to his mouth. 911. Somehow he managed to choke up what had happened, before rushing toward the now smoking car. He pulled open the door. Grissom and Catherine were both unconscious, both covered in blood. Sirens blared. He checked their pulse. Catherine was stirring

Catherine could hear the sirens in the distance, but they seemed to far away and Catherine felt so disconnected from her body they never registered to her. She forced open her eyes. Her head spun and she realized that she was covered in blood. She managed to sit up and then crawl toward the man beside her. Greg looked scared. No surprise. It wasn't everyday that you witness your two bosses being hit by a car and one of them lying bleeding within the car. Catherine moved to relieve Greg.

She checked his pulse. It wasn't here. Drawing in a sharp intake of breath, she bent down above him and delivered CPR.

"Come on Gil, hang in there." She cried softly.

Nothing.

She did it again…sobbing and her heart wrenching sobs racking through her body.

"Gil…please. Don't leave me here." She begged.

Finally a breath. Then two. She checked his heartbeat. It was weak but it was there.

The paramedics took over, delivering emergency care and then lifting him up on a stretcher. Catherine moved to go with them. They disagreed, saying she needed to be checked over. That's when she noticed the cuts on her arms and forehead from the glass.

"I'm fine." She insisted, pushing to get to Gil.

They didn't' let her through. "Ma'am you have to get checked over."

"Kiss my ass and let me go with him." She yelled.

Nick pushed through the crowd. He had just arrived after Greg called him. He saw Catherine, fighting paramedics and Grissom being loaded into an ambulance.

"Catherine!" he called, rushing to her…anger forgotten as panic overtook him. He enveloped her into his arms as her hot tears soaked into his shirt.

"Shhh Shhhh it's okay." He said softly, patting her head.

He managed to steer her toward a second ambulance and help her in. She looked numb at this point, as if suddenly she had just left her body and all it was- was a shell. Her eyes looked at the other ambulance, the one that Grissom was being loaded into. All at once, Nick knew the horrible truth that would break their team apart. Catherine Willows was in love with Gil Grissom.

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It was torture. Hell. They had checked her over and bandaged her wounds but wouldn't allow her to see Grissom. She was worried sick, but forced herself to stay calm. Someone would tell her if anything happened. She hoped anyway. The sedatives were working. Her eyes drooped and she fell against the pillow. Hours later, they finally let her go.

He was laying so still on the bed, it terrified her. She took his hand, nearly crying in relief at its warmness.

"How's his condition?" she asked.

The doctor sighed, "Not good. We'll keep an eye on him, but that crash did a lot of damage. He was bleeding internally when we brought him in, along with several broken ribs and a concussion. It's a miracle he's still alive."

Catherine digested this with a grief stricken look in her eye. This was too much, too soon. Sam had just died. She could not lose Grissom too. She turned to look at him, stroking him gently on the forehead.

"Please pull through." She begged softly. "please."

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Warrick stared at Sara.

"If you stare any harder at me, you'll burn a hole through my head." She said sarcastically.

Warrick opened his mouth, shut it. Then unable to resist, he said what was on his mind. "Sara, Grissom's in the hospital. Aren't you gonna go and make sure he's okay?" he asked.

Her shoulders dropped and Warrick almost regretted opening his big mouth.

"My job is here. Someone purposefully ran into his car. I wanna know who. I can't do much in the hospital. Holding his hand may be what most people think is right, but I don't think it works. Sofia or one of the doctors will call me with his condition, until then the only thing I can do to help him is to try and find his attempted killer." She said logically.

Warrick shook his head in disbelief. Typical Sara. Logic over emotion.

Nick popped his head in. "Guys you aren't gonna believe this, but I got something."

They gathered around him.

"We got a skid mark that matches the same one that was in Sam Braun's murder." He said, pulling out a picture. "Belongs to a Nissan Sedan. One of the most popular cars in the country."

"What's the link between the two cases other than the tire marks?" Sara wondered out loud.

It hit Warrick. "Catherine. She's the link. She's the only one that has ties to both the Braun case and the accident. But if the perp wanted the Braun family, why would he hit the driver's side of the car?"

Nick looked dejected as he stated almost matter-of-factly. "Revenge."

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_This time, this place_

_Misused Misplaced_

_Too long_

_Too late_

_Who was I to make you wait?_

Catherine held tightly onto Grissom's hand as the minutes ticked away. She didn't notice. She counted every breath he breathed, every single beat of his heart, scared to death that it would all cease and she would be staring down at him not in a hospital bed, but on the cold hard tables of the morgue.

_Just one change_

_Just one breath_

_Just in case there's just one left. _

"I love you." She whispered softly, admitting it to herself as much as to him. "I love you."

She felt his hand tighten around hers. She looked up through tear-filled eyes.

He was looking at her, with adoration and understanding. He knew.

_Cause you know_

_You know_

_I love you_

_I loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_For being far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

_And you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if_

_I don't see you anymore_

His voice was weak, but his words meant the world to Catherine Willows.

"I love you too." He whispered softly, clinging tighter onto her hand. "Never leave me again."

"I'm right here." She whispered, moving closer to him and burying her face into his neck, breathing in his scent, while he caught hers.

_On my knees I'll ask_

_Last chance for one more dance_

_Cause with you, I'd withstand_

_All of hell to hold your hand_

Grissom knew a long time ago that Sara Sidle was not the woman for him. He had ignored the instinct because he wanted a distraction from the loss of the one he truly cared for. It was horrible, he knew to think of the woman he was engaged to that way, but feelings were feelings and who was he to judge them.

_I'd give it all_

_I'd give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up_

_Cause you know_

_You know_

_I love you_

_I loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_For being far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

_And you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if_

_I don't see you anymore_

Catherine's voice was soft when she whispered, "Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere as long as you're here with me." He said back, kissing her gently on the cheek.

_I wanted_

_I wanted you to stay_

_Cause I needed_

_I need to hear you say_

_I love you_

_I loved you all along_

_And I forgive you_

_For being far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me_

_And you'll never go_

_Keep breathing_

_Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

Grissom gently tugged on Catherine's hand. She got the message without any exchange of words. She crawled in beside him, careful of the tubes. Snuggling up to him, she kept him warm for the rest of the night.

Gil Grissom suddenly learned more than he had in years. He knew that Sara was not the one that would hold his hand through his time of need. She's the one he could depend on to solve the case, but Catherine was the one that he could always lean on. When it came down to it, she would be the one to lead him through the fire. With Catherine in his arms, Grissom fell asleep to the sound of her breathing, confident that he would awake to see another day.

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Song is Far Away by Nickelback. Enjoy!


	6. Leaving Las Vegas Again

Chapter Six- Leaving Las Vegas…Again

Thanks to Nisha.Boo.14, Daydreamer1127, FoxyWombat, Dardeile, starkidtw, DrusillaBraun, JacobedRose, mj0621, jwoods471, CissaMalfoy, soliz, and myfairlady for reviewing!

Sergeant…there is a problem when you pay more attention to some animated graphic electronically induced picture on a tv screen than the living, cellular- respirating, mentally thinking woman beside you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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"What the fuck did I miss?" Sara demanded staring down at them.

Catherine slid out of a sleeping Grissom's arms. "He needed someone to be with him." She said softly.

She motioned for Sara to join her outside Grissom's room. "He needs rest." She said shortly, leading the obviously fuming CSI out.

She gently shut the door behind her and faced the very angry looking younger woman.

"Can I ask what the hell happened in there?" Sara demanded, walking closer to Catherine, eyes showing that she was indeed not afraid of a fight this time.

Catherine remained calm. Living in Montana had tamed her temper, but not her will. Her blue eyes were firm as she started her own explanation.

"You weren't here. He was scared, Sara. He didn't know if he would live or die and you weren't there by his side. I was. I was the one that carried him through last night." She said firmly. "I was the one he held because he had no one else to go to."

Sara slapped Catherine across the face...hard, making her wince. Tears of hurt and rage ran down Sara's cheeks.

"You whore! How could you do that to me? I thought we were friends. Before Montana screwed you up you were probably one of my closest friends. You knew I loved him. I always knew he had a thing for you and when you left, he came to me. Now you come back here as if nothing had changed, as if you never left. You come back in here not knowing the hurt we've been through the past years and take the only thing I have left? You're a bitch Catherine Willows. You deserved Eddie, you deserved every single piece of shit that's happened to you!" Sara raged at her.

Catherine was silent. The words cut deeper than the slap. Her face was red where Sara's hand had come in contact with it. Her eyes were frosty as she spoke.

"Sara I'm sorry. I just couldn't bear the fact that you were the one he loved, but you weren't there by his side. Maybe he needed someone there, just so he knew someone cared enough to cry for him if he dies." Catherine said, using words as weapons. "But you know what, I think the two of you need to figure this out between you two, so I'll leave you guys to talk."

She spun on her heel and headed away from Grissom's door. She paused and looked back.

"Sara talk long and hard. Get it all out in the open." She advised. "And you're still my friend."

She left, leaving Sara standing alone, trying to comprehend the change in Catherine Willows.

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Perhaps it was the fact that she was scared. Maybe she had foreseen it. Maybe it was her guilty conscience, but Catherine Willows did not understand what made her walk away from the one person she loved. Was it pride? No it wasn't. Catherine Willows, however, did know.

She refused to be the other woman. Eddie had always had another woman. It had scarred Catherine and made her distrustful. She blamed the women for the crumble of her marriage. She refused to carry that title and that weight on her shoulders.

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She sat down on the curb of the hospital. She put her face in her hands. Lord she needed help. Nick pulled up his Tahoe in the parking spot beside her. She lifted her head.

"Catherine?" He asked, stepping out, a bunch of files in one hand.

"In the flesh." She said sarcastically.

He sat down beside her and dropped the files by his side. "What happened?"

"Sara caught me and Grissom, I was sleeping in his arms." She stated bluntly.

He drew a sharp intake of breath. He had seen this coming. He had seen it the moment she waltzed back into the Las Vegas Crime Lab doors. Foreseen it like he had foreseen a Texas rain shower by the clouds.

Catherine blurted out the whole story. Every detail.

Nick sighed. "Catherine, she's right. They worked hard at their relationship to get where they are today. You ruined it in 24 hours. She has every right to be more than a little upset." He reasoned with her. "When you left, Grissom was a mess. He was always angry and the smallest things would make him reach his limit. Sara fixed that. Maybe you should let them be."

Catherine looked at Nick with surprise. He had no doubt changed. Before she left, he had always been protective of her, but now it seemed like even he was on Sara's side. She couldn't stand being attacked from all sides.

"Sorry then. I'll close the case as fast as I can and get my butt back to Montana." She said, getting up and wiping her hands on her jeans. "Thanks for the advice."

Then she was gone again.

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Nick sighed deeply. This was the hard part. Letting Sara go. He had just convinced Catherine to let Sara and Grissom stay together, for her to leave them alone. He didn't do it because he thought they belonged together, he did it because he loved Sara and wanted her happy.

_If you love something, let it go. If it returns to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it was never meant to be._

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Catherine looked through the grainy security videos until she was cross-eyed. It was hard to make out anything. She rapidly hit the keyboard a few times. The image became clearer…barely.

"Wow you look like Dracula on drugs." Greg said, slipping into the room.

Catherine groaned and hit her head on the desk. "I'm getting no where."

Warrick put down a bottle of Visine beside her. "Let me try." He said, pulling up a chair.

Catherine moved over, while Greg fidgeted behind them to get a good view from behind both their heads. Warrick worked magic. Within minutes the image was as clear was it was going to get. Good enough for Catherine.

"Guest ran into a security guard. He fell. His gun hit the floor and fired." She said with wide- eyes. "The whole shoot out was an accident. One shot that started the security guards firing, probably in panic…probably not aiming."

Warrick was gaping too. "Such a huge scale and completely an accident." He said in wild eyed wonder. The shittest things could happen sometimes.

Catherine felt stupid. Why hadn't she caught this before? _Oh right, you were distracted_. She told herself, gritting her teeth.

"Does that explain the victims?"

Catherine pointed to a guard behind the poker table. "He's only a few feet away from the vic we thought was executed. He isn't even looking where he's aiming." She said.

"When panic sets in, people run blindly." Warrick said, quoting Grissom.

Catherine made a face. "And we just wasted hours and a plane ticket working this case."

"But why were the bodies stolen?" Warrick wondered.

"Maybe the guards didn't want to be arrested." Catherine said thinking out loud. "Something like this can carry a reckless endangerment charge."

"Well I'm glad you guys solved the case." Came a voice from behind them.

They spun around to see Ecklie standing behind them.

_Shit…_Catherine thought.

He looked at Catherine, obviously speaking to her. "I guess since this case is closed. You can return to Montana. I'm sure your squad misses you and probably needs you. Got a call earlier saying they were backlogged and needed Detective Willows back." He said stiffly. "Not to mention, I think you've caused enough trouble." He said.

Warrick and Greg were confused, but Catherine knew exactly what he meant.

"Yeah. I'll pack tonight and be outta your hair by tomorrow." She said with a forced smile. It was going to be hard to leave again.

"Will do."

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"Grissom, what the hell were you doing with her?" Sara yelled.

He winced. Sara's temper always scared the crap out of him, even if he was bigger than her.

"I don't know." He said, still woozy from the sedatives in his system.

She slammed her fist down on his bedside table.

"Gil, she doesn't love you. She runs off and then comes back again. If she loved you at all, she wouldn't have left in the first place!" Sara said, forcing him to digest her words.

She immediately regretted it. His eyes became dark with grief and pain. She moved toward him, only to have him turn away. She sighed and walked away. Maybe he needed to be alone for a little while. Maybe she needed time to think as well.

What she didn't see was that the moment she left the room, Gil Grissom's shoulders began to shake as heaving sobs tore through his body.

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Catherine was throwing things into her suitcase when there was a knock on her hotel door. A lawyer in a suit was standing before her.

"Miss Catherine Willows?" He asked.

She nodded. "That's me. What can I do for you?"

"It's more what I can do for Sam Braun. I'm Arthur Melbourne. I'm his attorney." He said softly. "May I come in?"

Catherine shut the door, undid the chain and opened it again…further. He slipped through the door and placed his briefcase on the coffee table, beckoning her to sit down. She sat.

"Miss Willows, I'm here to talk to you about your father's will." He said, pulling out some papers.

She nodded. "Continue Mr. Melbourne." She said.

"Mr. Braun has left everything to you, including all his casinos." He said, handing her the document.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding?" she asked, a disbelieving look on her face.

"No Miss Willows. He specifically said everything was entitled to his only daughter. He only had three children. One dead. Another in jail for murdering the dead one. Your half brothers were out of the question."

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I don't know how to run a casino, much less five. I'm a forensic analysis. I have a degree in medical technology, not business." She moaned.

"Well you can always sell them." The lawyer tried to point out in order to comfort her.

She shook her head. "Those casinos were Sam's legacy. I can't get rid of them." She said softly. Her mind raced through every plausible option she had.

Mr. Melbourne stood up to leave. "Miss Willows, I would be glad to continue to provide legal services."

"Save it Sir. I'm not my father. I know the legal system too. If I need you for business I'll call you." She said shortly. "Until then, thanks for letting me in on this."

He gave her a firm handshake and exited her hotel room. She sank down onto the couch. What was she going to do now?

A second knock, and she found the majority of the Las Vegas forensic team in her doorway. She let them in as they piled on top of her.

Greg, Sofia, Warrick and Brass barely fit in her small hotel room.

Brass handed her a sheet of paper filled with names and numbers. "Our new numbers, in case you ever need us." He said with a smile.

Catherine returned the smile as she took the paper. Sofia and the other two approached her.

"Cath, we know you're a detective now, but we thought you might want this. I managed to get it back from Ecklie." She said, handing her a small bundle.

Catherine pulled out a .45 caliber automatic from its leather holster. It was the gun she has used when she was a Vegas CSI.

"Something to make sure Catherine stays okay in the country." Greg said, serious.

Catherine smiled through tear stained eyes. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." She said wrapping her arms around them all, a surprising feat for a rather small woman.

After a long conversation, the Vegas lab staff left, silently agreeing not to tell Grissom anything until he was out of the hospital.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Her arrival in Montana was quiet. Her partner was there waiting. He smiled at her.

"Good to have you back Catherine." He said, wrapping her into a hug.

"Likewise Charlie." She said with a smile.

He drove her home nad once she was out of the car, Lindsay rocket launched herself at her mother.

"Mom are you okay? Last I heard you got hit by a car."

Catherine returned her daughter's hugs. "Yeah I'm fine. Uncle Gil took the worst of the hit, but he's okay too." She said.

"Good I was worried." Lindsay said.

Catherine heaved her luggage out of the trunk. "Thanks for the ride Charlie, I'll see you tomorrow."

He gave her a wink as he walked off.

Lindsay threw Catherine an accusing glance. "He has a thing for you." She said bluntly.

Catherine made a face. "No way."

"So way. He didn't have to pick you up. He didn't have to come here and check on me everyday. He didn't have to call the Vegas Crime lab to ask for you back." She said.

Catherine blushed. "Alright alright, you crazy teenage love theories have quashed my stubbornness."

Lindsay beamed. "Always Mother," She said sarcastically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Grissom was on his feet and back in the lab again. It felt good to be back after being out for days. The issue was that the doctors still wanted to keep a few more days, but he didn't want to stay. He was getting restless lying there all day.

He was greeted with wild applause from his team.

"WHOO! DA BOSS IS BACK!" Greg squealed, bouncing up and down.

He smirked. Way to be immature. There was someone missing from this little welcoming party, however. It wasn't Sara she was standing in the backdrop watching. He was still unsure of their status at the moment.

"Where's Catherine?" he asked Warrick, who lowered his eyes.

"She went back to Montana."

Grissom stared. His emotions were crazy within him. Pain filled his eyes as he walked away and into his office. He closed the blinds and locked the door, sinking in his chair. He stared at the picture on his desk. Catherine was smiling back at him with a bouncing Lindsay in her arms. How had they drifted so far apart? It was only a few days ago that he had fallen asleep with Catherine by his side. It had been so perfect. Now here he was again, alone. She was gone again. He closed his eyes and for the second that week, Gil Grissom cried.

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Heart wrencher ain't it? Love writing 'em. Enjoy!


	7. Watched

Chapter Seven- Watched

Thanks to Nisha.Boo.14, Daydreamer1127, JacobedRose, Dardeile, CissaMalfoy, Pandy Roxy Chick, soliz, jwoods471, and DrusillaBraun for reviewing!

Special thanks to sergeant happy bunny for being so sweet to me twenty four seven. And never darling, I just had to give you a warning not to.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in CSI. I wish I did, but we can't always have what we want.

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Catherine Willows sat on her couch drinking a screwdriver. She was going to return to the next morning, but her last episode in Las Vegas left her in need of some anesthetic. The TV was off, the phone was disconnected, and Lindsay was upstairs. Catherine needed peace and quiet. She closed her eyes.

Everything came back to her. She had a feeling that she had to be back in Las Vegas. She was a little mad at being taken off the Braun case, as well as the collision case. Ecklie had told her she was personally involved in the case and couldn't remain objective. Part of her agreed with him. The Braun case…she could remain objective. But the case involving the collision was what she would not handle.

Suddenly Catherine Willows did something she hadn't done in years. She made her way to the barn and to the last stall. She had a few horses of her own, raising them mainly just for the fun of it while Lindsay was the rider. Catherine had ridden when she young, but Lindsay was the one that loved to ride, almost as much as she loved to dance. Besides her blue eyes and will power, those were the other two things were passed onto her daughter. She smiled to herself.

She stroke the mare's delicate muzzle and then buried her face in her neck, breathing in that smell. She groomed the mare until she shone and then mounted her. No saddle, no tack, no nothing. She galloped away from her house, from her problems, from the memories of someone who had moved on from her life. A memory that she didn't want to let go.

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Grissom looked over the evidence photos of the accident. He wanted to know what the heck was going on. Braun's death. The car accident. It didn't fit. Catherine had solved the casino gun fight, but the other two just didn't make sense to Grissom.

Nick and Warrick had figured out that the two incidents were related. Grissom just had to figure out who the heck would have known Catherine's location every time. No one that came to Grissom's mind fitted the picture.

Greg raced into the room, waving a lab report.

"Grissom…I got a match on the fibers that were found on Sam Braun." He said.

"Spill Greg." Grissom replied.

"Okay. The killer was up close and personal when he shot Braun. Catherine didn't recognize him because he was wearing a ski mask. She went to visit Sam, so she didn't bring her gun. Not to mention she was on the phone when it happened, not really paying attention to a grown man."

Grissom motioned for Greg's story to go faster. He knew this already. It was in Catherine's witness statement.

"Okay…since the gun was shot at close range, the gun probably had fibers in the barrel, which were transferred onto Sam Braun when the shot was fired." Greg announced.

Grissom looked thoughtful. Then something clicked in his mind.

"What color were the fibers?" he asked.

"White. Why?" Greg asked.

Grissom didn't answer. He stood up and walked toward the morgue, leaving Greg standing in his office, completely lost.

"Was it something I said?" he called after his supervisor.

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He raced into the tech lab and pulled up a chair in front of the computer. Archie had already downloaded the video off the video card and into the computer. Grissom hit play. The security video of the shootout at Braun's casino started to play.

Just as Grissom expected, the security guard that had fallen and set his own gun off was wearing a white shirt. He replayed it. The man that had run into him had his face hidden. Grissom couldn't make it out despite using tricks to enhance the picture. Nothing. Grissom had a sickeningly feeling that that 'accident' was not really an accident.

He sat back in his chair, his face ash grey. He had just linked two high scale crimes to Sam Braun's murder. Something else told him that the crimes were also connected to the car collision.

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Sara was sitting alone in the break room. She stared at nothing in particularly, wallowing in her own self doubt. Shift had long since been over, but she didn't want to go home. Not without him, and he had already made it clear that he wasn't going home. She closed her eyes and envisioned what life would have been like if Catherine had never left and then what it would've been like if she had never come back. For some reason, even if Catherine hadn't come back, Sara felt like it would've ended no different.

A figure stood in the doorway and cast his shadow on the wall she was staring at. She turned to see Nick's warm concerned gaze.

"Hey how you holding up?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

She shook her head. "I wonder if telling Catherine to back off was a good idea."

Nick sighed. "Truth be told, I doubt there would be a good idea in either case Sara. It was bound to happen the moment Elcklie called her to come back."

Sara sighed. "I just wished. I don't know. I just wished I knew what to do."

Nick took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You do darlin'" he said, his soft southern twang, sending strange feeling through her. "You do, you just haven't listened yet."

She met his eyes. Something in them told her she would be okay. He looked at her as though he would never let her fend for herself, that he would always be there to watch her and be there for her. She liked it. It was an altogether different feeling than she got from Grissom. The thought suddenly crossed her mind that maybe she and Grissom weren't meant to be after all, but could she let go of years of a relationship for a few seconds comfort?

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Catherine rode until the Montana sun rose, catching her hair in its rays. Her dogs bayed by her side. It was such a contrast to former Las Vegas lifestyle. She was torn between the two. She had to work in two hours, but right now her mind was cleared. Her worries thrust aside for the time being. The coolness of the night on her face and through her hair had been what she needed. She smiled.

Lindsay was in the kitchen eating cereal when she walked in to make coffee.

"Morning Mom." She greeted with a sleepy smile.

Catherine ruffled her daughter's hair like she was six years old. Lindsay never woke up until after first period. Catherine had been the same way.

"Mom, I'm gonna stay at Mandy's house tonight. We have a project we need to finish." Lindsay said, eyes reading the back of the cereal box.

"I don't have a problem with it. Just call me before ten so I don't worry." Catherine said.

Lindsay stood up. Another day for her. School. Friends. The usual. She kissed her mom good-bye. It was hard to imagine that a year ago the two of them were constantly fighting about everything. Lindsay wondered what possessed her to hang with drug addicts and boys that made her feel like she was worthless. The breaking point had come when she made a huge mistake at a party and her mother had to pick her up.

**Flashback**

Lindsay buried her face in her hands as she sobbed softly. This was not the way it should have happened. She had been kissing her then boyfriend at a party when he started to convulse and shake. She tried to help, but she had no idea what to do. He finally gave one final jerk and stopped breathing. Lindsay sobbed as she called the police.

Her mother had stormed into the house, looking furious as her partners and friends took witness statements. Her daughter sat on the bed and Catherine immediately felt pain at the sight of her little girl's bloodshot eyes and streaming tears.

Lindsay had expected her mother to yell at her. To arrest her. To ground her for the rest of her life. She didn't care. She felt miserable. She actually loved her boyfriend. This was too much. Her life was a mess. Her friends had ditched her the moment the police arrived, leaving her there. She felt betrayed and she looked at her mother with contempt.

Surprisingly Catherine didn't yell at her. She just enveloped her only daughter in a hug and held her tight as Lindsay's defenses fell and she sobbed into her mother's shoulders like she was a child of three. Catherine understood in more ways than one. The alluring nature of a charming boy was enough to knock the sense of out any girl, especially one as young and innocent as Lindsay. Catherine had protected her from the horrors of the world, but now Lindsay knew. Their relationship had transformed from that night.

**End Flashback**

Catherine smiled as her daughter ran for the bus. Shaking her head, she sat down at the table as she sipped a hot cup of coffee. Her mind wandered back to Grissom. She wondered what he was doing at the moment. She could see him, perched in his chair, his eyes focused intently on the case before him. His scent all man and Grissom. She smiled a little to herself. A honk at her door. Time for another day at work.

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He was there in front of her watching her. She was completely unaware that he was focused on her intently. He loved the way her hair shined in the bright sun and the smile that was on her face whenever her eyes focused on her only daughter. He loved how she followed the same routine every single day. Coffee, getting picked up, work. He just wished he had met her under a different circumstance. A different situation, because the situation they were in now. Called for her death. And as much as he wanted her, he wanted vengeance more.

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Author's Note: This just building. I promise more drama and suspense soon. Lol I hope this fic won't end up being too short, b/c I still have a lot of ideas to put in.


	8. Someone You Would Never Suspect

Chapter Eight

Someone You Would Never Suspect

Thanks to megslife, mj0621, Dardeile, FoxyWombat, CanadianHalliwell, starkidtw, CissaMalfoy, Pandy Roxy Chick, jwoods471, myfairlady, DrusillaBraun, and Hanna.

Bunny, what confuses you about it?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in CSI. I just pretend I do.

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"So recap on the case so far." Grissom ordered, his face drawn and his mouth set in a grim line.

Sara reached over and rubbed his shoulders. He didn't shake her off but didn't enjoy the contact as much as he used to either. He said nothing as he waited for Nick.

"Okay. We've established that the casino gunfight was probably an accident. Guy rushing out. Guy bumps into guard. Random shot. Other guards panic." Nick started.

Warrick busted out his own file. "However, what we didn't realize at first was that the John Doe had a gun. We found the same matching fibers as the guard's shirt on Sam Braun's body, which leads us to suspect that the John Doe that accidentally started the gunfight is also responsible for shooting Sam Braun." Warrick said.

Grissom listened carefully, but when Warrick stopped talking he look even more worn. Something didn't add up. Something wasn't right, every instinct told him that the two cases were also related to the collision but he had no evidence to back it up. He always thought that instincts were nothing, evidence was everything. His mind flashed back to a conversation he had had with Catherine.

**Flashback**

"Grissom I know he did it." Catherine said forcefully.

"Do you have evidence to back it up?" he asked standoffishly, not even looking at her.

She let out a frustrated groan. "Gil, for once shut up about the whole evidence aspect if, if we don't detain him now he'll run off to Colombia or something then we'll never get him!" she had cried at him.

"Catherine, you have no evidence saying that he did it. You can't detain him, or arrest him. If you want him, you get the evidence."

Catherine had glared at him with icy blue eyes, sending chills down his spine. He didn't know how one look from her could warm or terrify him like it did.

"I'll get your evidence, Gil, but by then, he'll be long gone and a killer will be loose. Get that. Evidence isn't everything Gil. Sometimes pure gut can point you in the right direction as well."

With that she had stormed out, leaving him with more than a case to think about.

**End Flashback**

She had been right. The next day the suspect had flown to Colombia and they never heard from him again. Two days later the DNA results came back and it was a match. It was one case that was closed yet open. Grissom had never doubted Catherine's gut since, even though he still never found a way to trust his own.

He looked up. "These two cases are related to the car collision. We just need something to prove it." He muttered, rubbing his temples as if the action would provoke thought.

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Catherine never knew a small town could carry its own dangers. She had seen it all in Vegas, but in her small hometown, every person she questioned or arrested were people she knew. People who knew her. Some of them had even watched her grow up. It was weird to have that sort of connection and vulnerability around the hard ass criminals she used to deal with.

"So how was Vegas?" Her partner asked her as they drove to the outskirts of the small town to investigate a lead in a murder.

"Different." Catherine answered lightly. "More people. More stuff going on. More crime."

"Must get pretty boring here." Charlie responded, turning into a driveway.

Catherine smirked. "My father died while I was there, I was caught in a car accident, which is looking like an attempted murder, I saw one of the biggest shootouts in my entire career that started with someone's accident. Believe me, in this line of work, boring can be good."

He smiled at her. "I'm not arguing." He said drawing his gun.

She did the same. "Let's bust some bad guys." She said softly, going into the house first, gun pointed at the ground.

He moved to cover her. Together they cleared each room. Her calling out that it was the police. Him, eyes always watchful, observant, making sure nothing would jump out at them.

"Clear." Catherine said, lowering and reholstering her gun.

Suddenly a weight hit her in the back of the head. She had time to let out a soft cry of surprise and pain before she dropped and hit the floor unconscious.

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Grissom was still thinking about the case when Greg burst into his office. Grissom looked up startled.

"I got the connection." Greg said. "Sofia found the car that hit you guys. I was with her when she found it. I got a print off the door handle. White fibers also found in the seat of the car. It's the link. The fibers are the link."

Grissom sighed deeply. His worst suspicions had been confirmed, but now at least, they could make some progress with the case.

"Okay run the print. Get this bastard." Grissom said, his hands clutched into fists.

Greg nodded quickly. "I already did. He's not in any criminal database, so definitely no record, but Nick's working on it now. We should get a hit soon."

Grissom nodded. "Good work Greg. Excuse me I have to clear my head."

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He stood overlooking the Nevada desert from the ledge of the crime lab parking lot. The same place the Catherine used to stand when she was in need of some peace. He could almost envision her standing beside him, standing straight ahead, and a million thoughts crossing her mind, a million emotions surfacing in her beautiful blue eyes.

How he missed her. He wanted to call her, to tell her that he needed her to be by his side, to balance him out. Her heart to his mind. Without her, he lacked empathy. He lacked the times that she would force him to face his own heartlessness and tell him that he had to feel, no matter what.

She always let her emotions drive her as much as her mind. Her heart was in every case she had and when she solved them, she didn't just use brilliance against the suspect go obtain a confession. She used compassion, brains, and well woven words. He missed her style in interrogation as much as he missed her warmth when they talked.

Part of him still blamed Eddie. Time had eased her pain, but his memory was still etched into her mind. His cruelty, how he tried to kill her. Grissom knew that Catherine's trust was broken the moment she realized that someone she had trusted to wholeheartedly, so simply, without any question or explanation, someone she loved, could betray her so easily. Gil Grissom understood her in more ways than she knew. He knew that she would never look at another man the same way. Not even him.

He could not shake off the fact that she was in some sort of danger. He didn't know it, but it was instinct. For once, he chose to walk in her footsteps and trust it.

Making that promise, he could almost see her smile.

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Lindsay was getting worried. Her mother hadn't answered the phone and it was past ten. She had called over and over again, finally calling the police station. They had told her mother was still on a job and for her not to worry. Her mother would call her back soon. At the moment, she was probably busy. Lindsay didn't believe them. Her mother had told her to call by ten. It was past ten, her mother would have called to check up on her by now. That was her mother. Always worried about her, always making sure that her only daughter was safe. The phone was still silent and Lindsay started to bite her nails. It was different. She remembered in Vegas how one phone call, she would have the entire Crime Lab Graveyard shift on her doorsteps. Montana no one cared about her mother. Her mother was the teenager that ran away and became a stripper. Earning respect back was a slow process.

Frustrated Lindsay went through her mother's desk, searching desperately for her mother's phone book. The bottom drawer was locked. Lindsay pulled on it. With a groan she sat back and thought. Something was desperately wrong. She pulled out a bobby pin from her hair and started to pick the lock. When she finally got the damn thing opened, she was surprised to find it almost empty.

Inside was a 45 caliber automatic. Fully loaded and ready to go. The other thing was a piece of paper with phone numbers written on it. The first one was labeled Gil Grissom- cell. Quickly Lindsay grabbed the phone and the gun and dialed the number, holding the weapon close to her as a security blanket. She could not shake off the feelings of apprehension.

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Grissom's phone went off, but his mind was so focused on watching the machine try to locate the man to their fingerprint, he almost chose to ignore it. Habit gripped him though and he picked it up. Lindsay's panicked voice came over the line.

Suddenly it was like déjà vu all over again.

"Uncle Gil?" her voice said softly. "Mom's not answering her phone. I mean she and her partner, Charlie Kent, have been working for over twelve hours. I don't understand. The police aren't even listening to me! Mom would never not call this late. If she's going to be late home, she always calls me. She told me to call her before ten. I did, she didn't answer, but its almost eleven and she still hasn't called. Uncle Gil, I'm worried."

His heart tightened as Lindsay vented her fears and suspicions, and her frustration that no one was doing anything.

"Shhh, Butterfly calm down." He soothed, using his personal childhood nickname for her to calm her down. "I'm looking things up from my end. It's okay Lindsay. If she doesn't call you in half an hour, I'll call her boss and personally make sure she's okay."

Lindsay calmed a little. Her breathing becoming less rushed and rapid.

The machine started to beep. A match. Grissom glanced at the name and his blood ran cold as he dropped the phone.

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Author's Note: How's that? Sorry for the slow update and the cliffhanger at the end. I'll write more soon. I promise. I like this story…it's fun to write.


	9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Chapter Nine- Blood is Thicker than Water

Thanks to mj0621, Dardeile, DrusillaBraun, jwoods471, Grammar Maven, starkidtw, CSIroxMYsox, Nisha.Boo.14, and X-FILESCSISVUBONESaddict for reviewing and hastening this update.

Sergeant it's so much kuter when I do it. I'm just kidding.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything on or in this show. Whichever is more grammatically correct. I hate grammar, only thing I've ever failed.

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He frantically dug for a phone book as Nick poked his head in. Grissom was sifting through a cabinet.

"What are you looking for?" Nick asked.

"Phonebooks. Montana police department." Grissom said, shoving things out and throwing them onto the floor with a bang.

Nick's spirits dropped. Here he was hoping that Grissom would be able to solve the case and get over Catherine. Sara needed him by her side, yet Grissom was completely blind to that. He seemed to only want the woman he couldn't have.

"Grissom, look I know people say the grass is always greener on the other side, but this is getting ridiculous. Sara loves you, she needs you, and yet here are you completely ignoring that and chasing after the person who's left you twice now. Grissom you always want what you can't have, but what if there's nothing there?" Nick asked, his feelings for Sara, clouding the side of his brain that would have told him to shut his mouth.

Grissom whirled, and Nick stepped back at the expression of anger in his face. Grissom's eyes were dark with hurt and rage, and his hand was clamped in a tight fist. Nick stared.

"This isn't about my relationships, this isn't about Sara. This is about Catherine and how someone might be trying to kill her. Don't get in my face about my personal life, Nicky, I promise you won't like what I have to say. Someone very close to Catherine is trying to kill her and I won't let it happen, now either get out of here and round up the team, or help me find a phone book with Montana listings." He said his voice soft, but deadly.

"Greggo, get the rest of the team." Nick said into the phone he pulled out of his pocket. He then moved to help Grissom check the cabinet across the room, pulling out a worn copy of police station listings.

Grissom grabbed it from him without a thank you, frantically flipping through it until he found the Montana police.

Three rings and a gruff voice came on the line.

"Hi, Captain Neal, I'm looking for Detective Catherine Willows, is she there?" he asked, crossing his fingers.

"No sir, she's out in the field. Can I help you?" the country man asked.

"Yeah, tell me which one of your detectives was out of the state around the time Catherine was." Grissom said. "This is Las Vegas Crime Lab, so please be truthful with me."

"Several." The man replied, sounding almost bored. "She must be quite popular these days, not the first call I've gotten about her whereabouts.

Grissom drew a sharp intake of breath, but ignored the comment. "Which ones?" Grissom asked, glancing down at the fingerprint on his file.

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Catherine awoke with an aching head. She moved to touch the bleeding wound, but found that she could barely move her arms. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was in a dark room with no windows.

_Shit, what the hell did I get myself into this time? _She asked herself as she shifted her weight to explore her cold prison. It was damp and the floor was cold, she reasoned that it was probably a basement of some sort. She took a whiff of the air. Gasoline. Her CSI and newly trained detective mind moved to conclude an area she could be in.

_Gas station? No, factory maybe. Something to do with cars and machinery. _She reasoned.

Her arms were getting numb. The position was very uncomfortable and the walls felt like they were closing in. Catherine Willows, however, refused to be afraid. She had survived hell in her husband, and nothing could come close to being betrayed by the one person she trusted, but this sure came close. Her thoughts subsided for a moment as anger consumed her.

_Damn him_ she thought. The door flew open.

"Hello Catherine, or should I say CSI Willows?" Charlie Kent asked from the doorway.

She glared back at him with icy blue eyes. "Why the hell are you doing this? You're my partner, you're supposed to watch my back, not hit me when I'm not looking."

He smiled, insane and without mirth. "Well Miss Willows, the problem is that it was your testimony and evidence that put my brother away. He was no killer, but you didn't care. You put him away anyhow and now he's dead. I demand blood in return."

Catherine put two and two together. "So I'm your main target, why kill Sam? Why hit Grissom?" she asked, she knew, but she just needed to keep him talking; it might buy her time and maybe a chance at some brilliant escape route out of here.

"Pain Catherine. I wanted to make you suffer like all the times you did me. Sam's your father. I had planned to kill Mr. Grissom first, but I could not hit the two of you harder without endangering my own life, and I couldn't die. Not until you were gone. The damn idiot just would not die. Of course I'm not done because I know the two people that you care about the most."

The first dent in Catherine's brave demeanor was created. Her expression didn't change, but a cloud filled the blue sky in Catherine's eyes.

"Yeah, I can see the fear now. I wonder which one should die first, Lindsay or Mr. Grissom. I know he'll come for you, I'm surprised he hasn't figured things out yet, I mean I thought I was hard to catch, so I had to leave a little bit of something to make sure he didn't think I was coming off as too easy."

"Don't you dare hurt him or my daughter. If you do I will personally send your balls up to live in your throat." Catherine threatened, meaning every word.

He laughed at her, moving closer and gently caressed her face. She flinched at the touch, which pleased him even more.

"Catherine, you're in no position to threaten me. I'm in control. I guess Lindsay has to be first, until Grissom can figure this out. Of course, you'll see her again. She'll die right in front of you, crying for you, but you can't help her. None of your police training or your CSI skills will help you save her. Isn't that your worst fear? Seeing you daughter on one of the autopsy tables in the morgue? Don't worry my dear you won't see her, you'll be right beside her. But you'll know that everyone that has died so far is your fault. By then I'm sure I don't have to kill you. I'll give you a bullet and you'll go the way my brother went." He said, his voice sweet, that it made Catherine sick to her stomach.

He left her then, trembling. Her mind raced as she struggled against the bonds until her wrists were swollen and bleeding. She had to save Lindsay. She let out a scream of frustration as tears filled her eyes. She had to get out of here. She threw herself at the door, bruising her shoulder, still screaming her fury.

After a while, Catherine's voice became hoarse as the pain in her shoulder became unbearable. She leaned the back of her head against the door as she sank to her knees, body shaking uncontrollably.

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Lindsay was curled up on the living room couch with her mother's gun in her lap and the phone clutched in her hand. The doorbell rang and immediately, the family dog started to yap and throw herself at the door. Lindsay cocked the gun and held it tightly as she made her way to the door. Her nerves were a mess, her breathing quick and rapid as she peeked out of the peephole in her door. She visibly relaxed as she undid the lock.

"Hey, Mr. Kent, where's Mom?" she asked, tucking the gun in the back of her jeans, covering it with her oversized T-shirt.

"She has a few things to clear up at the station. Told me to come here before her to check up on you." He said with a warm smile.

Lindsay grinned back, relaxing just a little. Finally word of her mother. She was so relived she never asked Charlie why her mother hadn't answered her calls.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked, moving toward the kitchen.

"Yeah do you have any coffee?" the detective asked, yawning a little.

"Yeah I'll put some on." Lindsay said, cheerfully, busying herself with the coffeemaker.

She had her back turned to him when she noticed that he casted a shadow before her on the kitchen wall. Her eyes widened as she saw him raise his arms, about to slam something into the back of her head. She whirled to face him a second too late.

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Author's Note: Another cliffhanger, but I updated pretty fast this time. At least now you know who it is. Enjoy and I'll try to update again!


	10. It All Comes Down to This

Chapter Ten- All Comes Down to This

Thanks to Dardeile, mj0621, angelaumbrello, DrusillaBraun, CanadianHalliwell, CissaMalfoy, jwoods471, Grammar Maven, fallinidentity, and my fairlady for their reviews

Sergeant…I know you do. Lol

Special thanks to jwoods471 for telling me how to spell Lindsey, sorry for the slip up!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this show, I just like to write.

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Catherine was getting cold. She shivered as blood ran down her wrists from her twisting in her bonds and her body was bruised from the constant throwing herself at the door. The door jiggled and Catherine moved away quickly from the door to avoid being slammed full on in the face. Due to loss of blood and stress, her legs were wobbly and she fell, slamming her head against the wall. She let out a soft cry as she sank to the floor.

Charlie opened the door and looked down at her. Her blue eyes were fierce as she glared back at him. He smiled in a sick and twisted way that made Catherine's stomach churn. He shoved a smaller form into the room. The figure emitted a soft cry of "Mommy!"

Catherine moved forward to shelter her daughter who buried her face in her mother, sobbing.

"Charlie you won't get away with this." Catherine spat at him.

Lindsey wormed away from him, closer to the wall, but Catherine faced him with fearless eyes. She was a trained CSI, didn't scare easily…at least she didn't show it. Deep inside, every nerve was shaking for fear of her life and more importantly the life of her daughter and everyone she loved so much.

He knelt down beside her and stroked her cheek. She trembled in spite of herself. He smiled at that.

"I'll be back. Enjoy your time left, Catherine dear. When Grissom arrives Lindsey will be dead and you will watch him die." He said cruelly.

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Grissom quickly dialed a nonfamiliar number on the phone. He had never done anything like this before, but found he had no choice. This was all for Catherine…if she was still alive.

"Tangiers, this is Melbourne speaking." A professional voice came on the line.

"This is Gil Grissom from the Las Vegas Crime Lab, I'm asking about Sam Braun's private jet and if I could borrow it to save his daughter."

Silence followed his almost matter-of-fact statement.

"I'm sorry sir, I have no way of confirming that you are who you are or if you are at all even related to Miss Willows." The lawyer said softly. "I cannot authorize it."

Grissom lost his already strained temper. "Look _Sir_ you may not know me, but I know Catherine. I'm listed on her next of kin list along with her daughter Lindsey. If you want me to run off facts about her I will. She worked for me on the graveyard shift for a number of years before she transferred to the swing shift. Then after our colleague Nick was buried alive, she returned to the graveyard shift. She worked as an exotic dancer, came from Montana, and was married once to a man named Eddie Willows. Okay?" he said all in one breath.

Silence again. Finally a sigh. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." The lawyer replied. "Sam always told me that when it came to his only daughter, money, time, nothing was an object. Take the jet. The pilot will fly you to wherever you need to go."

Grissom let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "I'll be there in five."

Without the jet, it was would take at least 8 hours to drive up to where Catherine lives, and another 3 hours if he booked a flight. That was time that Catherine didn't have and Grissom couldn't spare.

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Sara confronted Grissom was he raced out of his office.

"Where are you going?" she demanded to know, moving so that her body blocked his path.

Lately things had gotten out of control. It was no longer just about Grissom and Catherine's relationship, it was now about how Grissom was dancing around Sara. Sara had had enough. She wanted to fix this or end it and move on. She refused to stand there like a toy until Grissom felt it was time to right things. It was possible that that would never happen.

"Rescue Catherine. She's been kidnapped. I need you to lead shift while I'm gone." He said, trying to move around her, only to be blocked again as she followed his steps.

"This can't go one Gil." Sara said softly. "I can't take this anymore."

At this, Grissom's shoulder slumped. "Sara, I don't know what to say." He said softly, his worry for Catherine clouding his better judgment of saying something better.

Her eyes filled. She furiously wiped the tears away. "Gil, I've stuck by you when Catherine was gone. She comes back for only one or two weeks and she turns you upside down and inside out. I can't do that. She makes you laugh, I can see that. Of course I can compete with you mentally, but so can she. Why are we still doing this?"

Grissom had no answer for once in his life.

Sara continued. "Maybe this is what was supposed to happen. Before she left she asked me to take care of you, to keep you from becoming a stone. I did my best and I guess I succeeded in a way. You care for someone. It may not be me, but at least you have a heart now. So Gil, it all comes down to this. Who do you want to spend your life with, love, cherish, and hold…me or Catherine?"

Sara's gaze was intense, but Grissom's stare was just as strong and hard.

"Catherine." He whispered. "Catherine."

Sara gave him a tearful smile. "That's what I thought. Thank you Grissom, for clearing that up with me." She gave him a hug. "Now go. Fly to Montana as fast as you can and bring the queen of the lab back. We still need her."

Grissom kissed her on the cheek and raced out of the lab and out of Las Vegas, to where his heart was.

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He was back. Catherine heard it the moment the door outside her room creaked open. Lindsey was asleep in her arms. It had been difficult, but finally Catherine had been able to coax her little girl to an uncomfortable sleep instead of the terror that she would be facing if she were awake. She clutched her daughter tighter.

The door flew open revealing a sopping wet Charlie with a rope and gun in hand.

"Looks like Grissom forgot all about you." He said, coming closer to her. "Maybe Sara won his heart back. Oh well, this has nothing to do with us. Now Lindsey come here."

Catherine shielded the now awake Lindsay with her body.

"Stay away from her Charlie. You can have me, but stay away from her." she said.

"I don't think you're in the position to call the shots Miss Willows." He said coldly. "Now let go of your daughter or else I will wrench her away from you and I can't promise I'll be gentle."

"Come closer and I'll send your balls up to live in your throat." She screamed at him.

She was projecting more confidence than she felt, but she knew this kind of men. They get satisfaction from being in total control, for putting fear into their victims. She refused to give him that pleasure. She refused to be called a victim. The rope around her hands were a huge handicap, but her mind was counting down the chances that she would have to kick him in the balls and avoid being shot.

He grabbed her by the arm to throw her across the room away from Lindsey. Catherine cried out in pain as her arm twisted and she hit the wall.

"MOM!" Lindsey screamed, wrenching herself away from Charlie trying desperately to get to her mother.

Charlie held the girl firmly as he slipped the rope around her neck, gun still in hand. "Think of happy things Lindsey." He commanded, as he started to pull the rope tighter as she started to gasp for breath.

Catherine struggled to her feet and body slammed him away from Lindsey, the rope dropped onto the floor. The door was again thrown open. Catherine didn't need to look to know who stood in the doorway behind her. Charlie seemed to know too. Before the figure could comprehend the scene before him, he shot, too fast for Grissom to even react.

Catherine, however, had spent enough days working with Charlie, understanding his ways, watching his back. They were partners before all of this, and on some level they did trust each other. That trust may have been broken, but she still knew how his training went and how he reacted in various situations.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Catherine got to her feet and blocked Grissom's body as the gun went off. She let out a soft cry as the bullet hit her in the chest and she crumpled to the floor, struggling for breath.

Grissom's heart plummeted to the floor and then lower to Hell. He yelled in rage as he brought up his own weapon to aim and fire a collection of 6 shots into Charlie's chest. Charlie never got a chance to react to the fire, and he fell, beside Catherine, dead before he could hit the ground. His open dead eyes stared at her, not seeing her, not seeing anything for the rest of eternity.

Grissom numbly pulled out his phone, dialing for an ambulance and applying pressure to Catherine's wound. When he hung up he untied Catherine's hands and then Lindsay's while still applying the pressure. Lindsey grasped Catherine's hand and sobbed in childlike fear and pain. Grissom could not comfort her, not while he was so scared himself.

"Hang in there Catherine, hang in there." Grissom whispered, pressing on the wound that would not cease oozing red blood.

"Don't leave me." He begged softly, tears filling his eyes. "Don't leave me, not again. I just got you back. I can't lose you again. Don't leave me."

Catherine's lips moved as if she wished to speak. Say something to the two people she loved the most hovering over her as she took her last breaths, but found that all strength had left her. Her vision blurred as she tried desperately to come to terms with her death, with her good-bye to the life that seemed so normal, which suddenly became so precisely unique in its own way. She suddenly understood why terminally ill patients hung to every moment of life in spite of all the pain. She regretted every time she cursed the world that showed her so many horrors, but had also shown her so many blessings. She felt tears fill her eyes. All her career, death was part of her job. She had looked at it impassively, choosing to think hat if it came, she would accept it. Now when it was knocking on her door, it changed her perspective. Catherine Willows realized that she was not yet ready to die.

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Author's Note:

Only a few more cliffhangers left ya'll. But come on, you have to admit you like the action. Lol. I'm just kidding. I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter, because it was really fun to write. I feel like I'm watching on of those action movies when everything explodes at once. I'm still debating whether or not Catherine should live though, or if I should just write two endings for it. You know like those alternate endings on those movies with those cool special feature DVD sets. R&R with opinions.


	11. Painful Surprise

Chapter Eleven

Painful Surprise

Thanks to myfairlady, DrusillaBraun, Dardeile, CissaMalfoy, Daydreamer1127, El Gringo Loco, Canadian Halliwell, SilverBlackWolf13, fallinidentity, jwoods471, Pandy Roxy Chick, and Grammar Maven for their reviews!

Why thank you…you…

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in CSI. Again, I just wished I did.

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He sat in the hospital with his head in his hands as he waited anxiously for the doctor to give him the bad news or the good news. He hated waiting. He hated hospitals even more. He didn't know that he was feeling the exact same thing that Catherine had when he had been in the emergency room. This was hell. Actually worse than any hell that he had ever imagined. Lindsey was in another room being checked over by a doctor and giving her statement to a police officer. He was left alone here to ponder the past hour.

He would never forget how she dove in front of him to take a bullet meant for him. She gave her life for him even though she had left him to be with someone else. He didn't understand her. Didn't understand what she was thinking when she walked away from him for the second time only to pull a stunt of an ultimate sacrifice for him. She was wreaking havoc on his heart and soul and he couldn't figure her out the way he could read crime scenes. Nothing added up and the only person who could tell him was her. Her who was the cause of all his pain, all his happiness.

He needed her as much as he need to breathe. They were fire and ice. She was all fire and he was as cold as ice. Together they kept each other from going too far. Together they took two opposite things and made wine. When he was swallowed in darkness she would be the light that led him out of it. He was determined to be that light for her this time. If she pulled through to let him be.

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Dr. Cuddy was a seasoned doctor. She knew the ins and outs of her job and the preciousness of lives there were too quickly snatched away. She knew the horrors of the world and the cruelty people can lay on one another. The way fate was coldly chipping away at what they laughingly called civilization.

She stared down at the figure lying on the bed before her. Times like these she hated her job. The woman she was trying to save was dying and there was nothing she could do. She knew her well. Detective Willows had been running in and out of the hospital ever since she became one of the best on the force. Cuddy was used to seeing her and chatting with her in the waiting room during cases. She also knew that the cop had a common blood type, O negative, but at the moment, it was the worse blood type to have. It was the universal donor but because of its antibodies, it did not take any blood type other than O negative.

The truth was Dr. Cuddy could not remain objective with this case. Catherine Willows was her oldest sister. Cuddy had been born into a family of four. Catherine was the eldest followed by her and then a brother and then another sister. She would be the first to admit that she was one of the cold citizens to her sister. Catherine had run away leaving her family and the ranch instead of sticking it out. Cuddy had been reluctant to forgive that. Cuddy spent her life wondering where her sister was and how she was doing.

_Her sister reads the bible_

_Her father sits and snores_

_They're with her every minute_

_'Cause they may not have many more_

_She was dancing in New Orleans _

_Only seven weeks ago_

_Life may go on with out her_

_But not the life we know_

She rubbed her temples. It was not fair for Catherine to be lying there. She was a trained cop who served and protected. She opened the door to the emergency room and saw a bearded man sitting with his head in his hands, looking as broken and worn as a rag doll. She hated to give bad news, but sadly it was an everyday part of her job.

"Mr. Grissom?" she asked softly.

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He jerked his head up at the sound of his name and saw a pretty young doctor approach him. She had dark hair and blue eyes that were strikingly similar to Catherine's. She wore a saddened expression on her face.

_You wanna scream, you wanna cry_

_You want someone to tell you why_

_All the hope that's in your heart is not enough_

_You hit your knees, you shake your fists_

_Oh, it's the deepest wound there is_

_When you can't help the one you love_

"How bad is she?" he asked softly, unable to keep the quivering out of his voice.

She drew a breath. "Not good. We've stabilized her but she's lost a lot of blood. We want to give her a transfusion, but we have absolutely no stock of O negative." She started to explain.

He exploded. "How the hell can you not have it? It's one of the most common blood types in the world?" He yelled at her.

Cuddy winced. "Mr. Grissom, please calm down. You losing your cool won't help Catherine at all." She grasped her lab coat tightly as she forced herself to go on. "We live in a very small rural town. The hospital is good, but it's nothing like what you have back in Vegas. Our resources are very limited and most of the townspeople have A or B blood. We just simply don't have enough stock of blood." She said.

Grissom rubbed his eyes. Then an idea occurred to him. "What if I can say that I'm a match?" he asked.

Lisa Cuddy's hopes began to rise just a tiny bit.

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A while later, Grissom was hooked up to a bag that was hooked up to Catherine's arm. He was watching her though. Her face was so white and pale that he was afraid that she was gone. He had seen countless bodies in the morgue, same paleness, same coldness. He never wanted Catherine to be like them in any sense. She was much too important. As much as he never wanted to admit it, but in spite of Dr. Cuddy's and Grissom's best efforts, Catherine Willows was dying.

_When someone's slipping away_

_Right before your eyes_

_How useless we are_

_Is a painful surprise_

Her chest was still rising and falling and Grissom found that his own breath matched hers in slowness, rhythm, and length. There was nothing left for him to do. It was no longer in his hands. Catherine's life lay in the unknown and Grissom hated every minute of that. He felt wetness in his eyes as he watched the woman he loved, who was probably the stronger person he had ever known, slowly fade away. He wouldn't let her go. Not without a fight. Not without holding onto her fighting the darkness tooth and nail. But at the moment, Grissom knew there was nothing left that he could do.

_You wanna scream, you wanna cry_

_You want someone to tell you why_

_All the hope that's in your heart is not enough_

_You hit your knees, you shake your fists_

_Oh, it's the deepest wound there is_

_When you can't help the one you love_

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Author's Note:

I just had to put a depressing chapter in this mix. Why? Because I can and because no fic is complete without a few tears and some apprehension. Lol. Anyway. The song used is The One You Love by Terri Clark. More soon, This was my get-rid-of-my-sad-moment chapter so cry and enjoy!


	12. Love and Loss

Chapter Twelve- Love and Loss

Thanks to DrusillaBraun, starkidtw, megslife, Pandy Roxy Chick, jwoods471, AhJac, and everyone else. The problem is that my computer is really weird and it's not showing all the reviews. It's actually showing a few of them as blank so I'm sorry if there's no mention of a few people.

Sergeant that's not good. I can' t give you blood then. I think I'm a typical type A personality.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, sadly.

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Catherine could faintly see what was going on. Voices seemed miles away. She couldn't open her eyes. She could feel a hand on hers, warmth, yet every other part of her body felt cold and aching. Who was with her? Grissom? For some reason Catherine imagined her younger sister hovering over her. This was getting confusing. She stirred.

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Sara sat in the lab staring at the blue tinted walls. Her gaze was distant. Nick came up behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't move.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She didn't reply.

He moved around her and knelt down in front of her, taking both her hands in his own. His gaze was warm as he stared intently at her. She finally dropped her eyes to meet his.

"No." she said softly. "Grissom picked someone else over me. No, I'm not okay."

Nick gave her hand a squeeze. "Sara, it's not you. You and I have both seen the way Catherine and Grissom were together, before she left. There was no way he would have ever truly let her go, even if he tried. Everyone has someone that they're meant for and when you find that person, it's impossible to let them go. Grissom made that mistake twice. He couldn't make that mistake again. You knew it Sara, and you would have let him go anyway."

Sara felt tears in her eyes. "I guess I don't get a chance to."

Nick's gaze was painfully intense. "Sara, what you're looking for is always in the last place you look. Look at me now." He said softly.

She did. What she saw shining in his eyes was so much more than she had ever expected. All at once, Sara Sidle found what she had been looking for.

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Grissom felt his heart rise as Catherine's eyes opened slowly. He scrambled to closer to her, to be there for her when she woke up. A few seconds later, crystal clear blue eyes were staring back at his. His face broke into a loving smile.

"How you feeling?" he asked gently, touching her face to wipe a stray lock of strawberry blonde hair away from her eyes.

"Like I got by a bus." She murmured softly.

He chuckled softly. "In a way one almost did." He said softly.

Then silence lingered between them. He stared down at the floor. Flashes of what had happened consumed his mind for a moment. How scared he was when he figured out that Catherine had spent her time in Montana with a killer hungry for revenge. How he felt when he knew that Catherine was missing. And then the way his heart stopped when she took a bullet for him. Now looking down at her, he felt the walls he had built around himself collapse as he collapsed in her arms.

She held him as he broke, speaking softly to him. Allowing him to seek sanctuary in her arms.

"Catherine, I love you." He said softly, barely a whisper, barely audible.

Silence.

Her mouth opened and closed mechanically as tears glistened in her eyes. She couldn't. She was terrified. As much as she wanted Gil, she couldn't put herself out there again. And Sara. Sara may have tried to jump down her throat every chance she got, but Catherine knew what was like to be in her position. Catherine had been there too many times. She couldn't play the opposing role.

"I can't Gil. I just can't. I'm so sorry." She said softly. "Please Gil. Please say you understand."

He didn't. He couldn't. He bit his lip until the pain allowed him to regain his composure.

"That's okay Catherine. It doesn't matter, but it isn't fair. Maybe this is one of the only times I'll ever truly put my heart out on the line. You kept telling me to and now when I have, you tear me in half as if I never mattered." He said, letting his words cut deeply into her. "You said I was cold. You never looked in the mirror. Well look in it now, because I'm not doing this anymore. I left Sara because I loved you, and now I know that no matter what I do, it doesn't matter. I'm still the work obsessed guy that you would never look twice at."

Catherine shook her head with a pained expression on her face. Tears ran down her face, unchecked, unfought, unwanted.

"Please, Gil. Don't say that." She whimpered.

He laughed without mirth, no feeling at all. "Good bye Catherine." He said, grabbing his coat and walking out.

As he left, Lindsey ran in, pausing only to hug Grissom, which he halfheartedly returned. She scrambled into her mother's arms. Catherine held her close as she stared at the retreating back of the man she loved. Burying her tears in her daughter's blonde hair.

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There was only so much pain one could take. Catherine had saved his life, but somehow he couldn't be in the same room as her anymore. The way she just kept breaking him in two as if it were as easy as breaking apart a Kit Kat bar. It hurt. He couldn't do this anymore.

Grissom felt himself withdraw a little more into his shell. The walls that he had built around himself were stronger now. He grew colder, more distant. He died a little bit more and no one was there to grieve for that little bit of him that was gone.

His cell phone chirped. Warrick's voice came over the phone.

"How is she?" he asked, voice distant over the static on the line.

"I don't care." He forced himself to say. He was lying. He cared very much, more than anything in his entire life.

Stunned silence followed.

"What?" Warrick muttered in disbelief.

"I don't care. She's inside I can't be in the same room as her okay? Go ask someone else." He said bitterly, hanging up.

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Back at the lab, Warrick entered the break room to find Nick and Sara holding hands and talking quietly while Greg banged his head up and down to an Ipod.

"Guys does anyone know what's going on?" he asked, obviously confused.

Sara and Nick looked up confused. Greg didn't hear him.

"What are you talking about?" Sara asked, reaching over to yank the earphones out of Greg's ear, causing a cry of pain from him.

"Grissom just said that he didn't care about Catherine. Was there something I missed?" he asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow at Sara.

Nick was confused. "But he loves her." He exclaimed, and then quickly realized his mistake, eyes wandering to Sara.

She was staring off into space as if she had just hit a lead in a case. A smile of disbelief crossed her face as her mind understood what was going on. Only a woman could.

"Oh my God." She murmured softly. Quickly she turned to Nick. "Can we get a plane ticket to Montana?"

He was very surprised but nodded dumbly. "Uh, probably." He said.

She hugged him tightly. "Thanks." She said, scampering out of the room.

The men exchanged confused glances. What was going on?

Sara smiled to herself as she ran to her car. She understood Catherine in this sense. The Montana girl was not the only one that had ever been cheated on and Sara understood the turmoil Catherine would be going through. As much as the brunette didn't want to admit it, Catherine always had a sense of loyalty. She smiled to herself. The strawberry blonde wouldn't move toward Grissom without a kick in the ass from her.

Sara Sidle was going to give her that necessary kick in the ass.

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Lisa Cuddy knocked soflty to the door of her older sister's room. Catherine looked up and smiled a little. Lindsey was asleep in her arms. The teenager had refused to be farther than three feet from her mother after all this chaos. Lisa couldn't blame her.

She went in and checked her sister's vitals.

"How you feeling?" she asked, peering into the eyes that were the trait that were passed on to both of them.

"Tired." Was the worn reply.

Lisa observed her. There was obviously dark circles under her eyes and they were also bloodshot, probably from crying.

"Where's Mr. Grissom?" she asked gently.

Catherine started to cry. "He left. He told me he loved me and I couldn't -. I couldn't put myself out there again and I couldn't play the other woman." She sobbed softly.

Lisa encircled her sister. "Catherine, you can't be scared. You just survived Hell." She said with a small smile.

A small laugh, the best Dr. Cuddy would get. "I got married to an abusive crackhead. Got a daughter that nearly swallowed cocaine from my ex-husbands stash. Been cheated on by two boyfriends in a row. Then Eddie tried to kill me and then my partner tried to kill me." She said sarcastically. "Oh yeah, men have made a wonderful impression on me."

Lisa gave Catherine's shoulders a squeeze. "But not all men are the same." She said gently. "I've learned that. You're not the only one that bears scars on your heart. Granted you've probably made more mistakes than me, but you learn from your mistakes and then get back on the horse. I saw him when you were in surgery. He was completely lost, Catherine, he loves you. So much."

"I'm scared, Lisa." Catherine whispered.

"I know. That's normal, but if you never love again, Eddie, Chris, all those losers would have won. Their cruelty would have changed you and the sister that I know would be pissed if any guy ever did that to her." She said, pulling herself to her feet. "I need to get back to work."

Catherine smiled at her sister. It was good to talk to her again. The entire family had spread out all over the place. Obviously Lisa had married once, turned Jewish, and then became a very successful doctor. Her other sister was a business woman in Nevada, also very successful. Her brother was lawyer in New York. Catherine laughed to herself. It was interesting.

"Hey Lisa?" Catherine spoke up when she was almost out the door.

She paused to look back.

"Was that the voice of experience?" she asked.

Lisa smiled. "Maybe." She said mysteriously. "I'll tell you more when we sit down for some coffee together."

"It's a date."

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Author's Note:

I promise another update soon. Finals are almost upon me and I have to prepare my case for my trial in two months. (Long time I know, but memorizing everything takes a while). Anyway, this is completely off topic, but I can't figure out whether I'm a House/Cuddy shipper or a Cuddy/Wilson shipper. Someone make a good argument for both sides and maybe I can decide. Lol.

Sorry this chapter was also a little sad, but I think it's a little more like reality. Most of the people I know would not just deal with everything Catherine dealt with and then leap into a guy's arms. Or maybe that's just me, but that's what I think. I would think that they would have time to try and figure things out before jumping into the water.

Let me know what you think. Reviews are always welcomed.


	13. Breaking Point

Chapter Thirteen-

Breaking Point

Thanks to Daydreamer1127, mj0621, DrusillaBraun, Dardeile, lil Kass, angelaumbrello, starkidtw, CissaMalfoy, Pandy Roxy Chick, jwoods471, megslife, myfairlady, and El Gringo Loco for reviewing!

Babe. If you wanna get all technical, you better stop reading this is fanFICTION. FICTION. Do you see it? FICTION! See it now? FICTION! NOT REAL! Got it? FICTION!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this show. I'm just the sad lonely person that writes about someone else's work. Sniffle.

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Catherine lay alone, watching the rain pellet her window with merciless strokes. This was way too difficult. Lindsey was at school while Lisa had to do what every other doctor in the world had to do. Save lives. Catherine was itching to get back in the action. To work again. Her job was her salvation, the one thing in life that could always take her away, away from the pain, the sorrow, and the twist of fate that keeps trying to play with her heart.

She couldn't get Grissom's hurtful words out of her mind. His words had cut her more than anything Eddie had ever said or done to her. The punches she could take, the words she could ignore, but when Grissom spoke, it was like his words were the only thing that could fill her mind. Eddie called her a whore, Grissom called her nothing that anyone would ever take offense to, yet Catherine felt like Grissom had stabbed her straight in the chest.

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Nick was very confused why they were flying to Montana and Sara was not offering any explanations. He was also very confused how she managed to talk Elckie into letting them take a vacation at a time like this. The Las Vegas Crime Lab was understaffed at the moment and every bit of help was needed, yet Sara had marched into that man's office and five minutes later, she was packing up her bags, telling him to do the same. He will never know what she said to him, but he would have paid half a million to watch the exchange between a politically driven bureaucrat and stubborn driven scientist.

"We should be there soon." Sara murmured, checking her watch. "I wish this plane could fly faster."

Nick laughed. "Well a fighter jet could have gone faster." He mused, thinking outloud.

"Then why didn't we get a fighter jet?' she asked.

"Because we don't know how to fly one?" he asked, a little bit confused.

She heaved a great sigh, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms. "This is the least bit of good I can do for Catherine to make up for how bitchy I was to her when she came back. I mean I know I had a reason to be, but that doesn't justify my lack of understanding."

Nick gave her hand a squeeze. "Hey, you're too good of a person; most people couldn't do what you're doing now."

She gave him a smile. "Thanks I needed that." She said, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"They won't speak to each other, according to Warrick." Nick pointed out as the conversation turned to the matter at hand.

"Remember how worried they were about each other every time we had a dangerous case. That like case with Goggle, Catherine was with Grissom before we even knew what happened. And then with Eddie, how Grissom rushed to her side?" Sara asked, beginning to unveil her idea.

Nick nodded. "Yeah I've never seen Grissom drive so fast."

"Right." She said. "We need to fix things between then if any of us ever want to get any sleep for the rest of our lives."

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Catherine's head jerked up when Sara burst through her hospital room door. She was not in the mood to deal with Grissom's ex girlfriend, especially one that's never been too fond of her.

"Here to rub it in my face that Gil ran back to you?" she hissed, painkillers making her dizzy, crabby, and creating a huge hole in her judgment.

Sara drew in a sharp breath to keep her own temper in check. Catherine lowered her eyes.

"Sorry that was really uncalled for." She apologized, rubbing her temples. "I don't know what came over me."

Sara smiled a little as she sat down on the edge of Catherine's bed. "I came here to give you advice."

Catherine laughed bitterly. "Do I really need advice from someone who's' been through less than me?"

"Yes." Sara stated plain and simple. "Catherine you don't admit it, but you're bitter. You're bitter about love because you've messed up so many times."

Catherine glared at Sara. Her hands were clenched into fists as she angrily choked out. "I don't need to be analyzed."

Sara held up a hand, "Yes you do. This goes deeper than you not wanting to be the other woman. Because I bet that even if I told you right now that I don't care that you date Grissom, you still won't let him in. I'm telling you to date him. Are you going to? Am I right?"

Catherine didn't answer. But her silence was answer enough for Sara, who took it as her point coming across the older woman's mind.

"Okay, hear me out. You're afraid that Grissom's gonna disappoint you like Eddie did. You threw yourself into one disastrous relationship after another to try and prove that what happened with him was not your fault."

"You've proved it. You're done. Stop running into walls. Don't you see that Grissom is not like any of those guys? Don't you see how much he loves you? Some men are scum but Grissom is not one of them."

Catherine was shaking her head. "I don't think he is."

It dawned on Sara. "You think it's still your fault." She realized.

Catherine smiled bitterly. "I messed things up so many times, What if I mess it up with Gil?"

Sara hit the strawberry blonde on the arm. She winced and looked at Sara with a disbelieving look.

"Stop slamming your head into walls. What happened with those assholes was not your fault. It was theirs. They messed it up because they were too blind to see what they could've had with you. Grissom isn't blind. He can see you and he loves you. He always had, even with he was with me. Hell, when he was with me, he still had your picture on his desk. So do everyone a favor, stop running and face this. You can't run away from him and he can't ever let you go."

Catherine looked down. "He won't speak to me."

Sara smiled. "That's were Nicky comes in."

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"You did me a favor by bringing this out into the open." Sara explained.

As she headed for the door, Catherine called out. "Hey Sara?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you just say all that?" she asked. "I thought you never liked me."

"I didn't." She said simply. "But dislike doesn't have anything to do with admiration."

She flashed a smile before shutting the door behind her.

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Nick looked everywhere for Grissom, but found him in the last place he thought he would be. Drinking time and pain away. Only Grissom was drinking water, but smoking cigarettes.

"What the hell?" Nick said, sitting down next to him. "I didn't know you were a smoker."

Catherine knew he used to be.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me Nick." He said, putting out the butt. "Why are you not in Vegas?"

"Emergency." Nick said. "Grissom, it's Catherine. She took a turn for the worst."

Grissom was out of his seat and out of the door before Nick could even react.

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He burst through Catherine's door and gaped when he saw her sitting up and staring back at him. Relief flooded him as he rushed to her side, to check for himself that no damage had been done. None had. She was okay.

He pulled away when he realized that she was staring at him and hadn't spoken a word.

"Sorry, Nick lied to me." He said as he turned to go.

She reached out and clasped his hand. "No don't please." She murmured. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" he demanded. "You want to give it a go now? After all of this?"

She winced at the tone and volume of his voice. "No Gil, just please listen to me."

"There's nothing you can say that I want to hear." He retorted bitterly.

She felt tears fill her eyes and Grissom's heart instantly softened.

"Gil, I love you. I know I've been slow to say it, but I do. I was afraid of messing things up between us. I was scared that I would lose you permanently if I moved forward."

He didn't turn to face her. She stared at his back. The sag in his shoulders. He wasn't going to believe her. She had ruined things before they even started. She, Catherine Willows, was cursed to be the failure of relationships for the rest of her life. The tears came faster.

"Looks like I messed things up before they even began." She whispered.

He didn't answer and she let his silence answer for him. She turned away and felt tears run down her cheeks. The silence was enough to tell her everything she needed to know. It was enough to break her heart and to cut soul clean in two.

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Author's Note:

Just a few more chapters and this story is ending. I think it's getting to a stopping point. This weekend is Christmas so don't expect me to update. That's time I wanna spend with friends and family, though I do love to write. Next week, however, I will start updating all my stories between times I'm reading my witness testimonies and everything else I have to do. Merry Christmas everyone! These updates are all for you guys!


	14. Forgiven

Chapter Fourteen

Forgiven

Thanks to CissaMalfoy, Daydreamer1127, jwoods471, DrusillaBraun, Pandy Roxy Chick, myfairlady, Grammar Maven, and megslife for reviewing!

Sergeant, I've noticed. But you'll never be as difficult as me.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in CSI. I just write for fun.

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He hadn't moved. He hadn't gone anywhere. He could have walked away right then, but he didn't. He just stood there with his back turned.

"Gil…" Catherine pleaded.

He turned to cover her lips with his, showing her his feelings that he had kept hidden for so many years. She returned the kiss with every ounce of passion she had never felt with anyone else in her life. They pulled away for a second as he stroke her face and tucked a lock of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. She smiled at him with a smile that emitted the radiance of a woman who had found what she had looking for, found what had been there all along. He leaned into kiss her again.

Neither of them were paying attention to the eyes that were watching them and cheering. Sara and Nick were locked in each other's arms as Cuddy looked on with shining eyes. They gave each other high fives.

When Catherine and Grissom finally had exchanged the kisses and words that were needed, they turned to the family at the door. Catherine pumped a fist in the air as Grissom laughed and planted a kiss on her temple. Finally they were together. No more pretending. No more dancing around the bush. It had finally come together for them.

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"Lindsey, careful with that." Catherine called to her daughter.

They were packing up boxes from Catherine's house. Grissom was helping out as well as they taped and wrote FRAGILE on a bunch of boxes.

Grissom walked over and wrapped his arms around Catherine's waist, nuzzling her neck. She laughed as Lindsey ran into the mixture, wrapping her arms around both Grissom and her mother. Lindsey then hit Grissom with the throw pillow that was still on the couch. Grissom retaliated with another pillow. Lindsey hit again, only this time her aim was off and got her mom. Catherine laughed and grabbed a pillow as well chasing Lindsey around as Grissom chased her. Shrieks of laughter filled the room that no one saw the women standing at the door.

"Ahem." Came a soft voice.

Catherine turned to see her sister with her mother watching her.

"Lisa!" she said happily.

"You packing or playing?" her sister asked with a small smile.

"BOTH!" Yelled Lindsey as she rock launched herself into her aunt's arms.

Lisa caught her as Catherine caught stares with her mother. Her mother had never been proud of her. Lisa had become a doctor, Nancy a business woman. Her brother, Mark, a lawyer. Catherine had run away, married a druggie, turned into a stripper, before finding herself as a criminalist. Lily was not proud of her daughter, not until now.

"Catherine." She said with a smile.

Catherine didn't answer. Grissom reached over and gave her hand a squeeze and a little push forward.

"Mom." She said.

Lily smiled at her daughter. "Catherine. I'm proud of you."

Catherine felt tears fill her eyes as she hugged her mother. Lindsey cheered as Lisa clapped. Lily pulled away to look at her daughter again.

"Mom." Catherine started. "I didn't sell this place."

Silence lingered.

"I know how much you liked this ranch so uh…I'm giving it to you. All the payments to it are taken care of, just take care of it." She said, uncertainly.

Lily started to cry. The ranch had been her home since she was little until they had no choice but to sell it. The familiar surroundings were welcoming to her.

"Thank you." She murmured. "Thank you."

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They were back in Vegas. Catherine felt like shrieking with joy and excitement. Grissom's eyes were shining as he took Catherine's hand and helped her off the plane. Lindsey was right behind them, taking in the familiar sight of the desert.

"What's it like to be back in Vegas?" he asked.

"Heaven." She replied, kissing him on the cheek.

Moments later, they had their stuff in the back of the Tahoe that had been sent to pick them up. Then they were in front of the crime lab. Catherine drew in a sharp intake of breath. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"Nervous?" he asked.

She shook her head with a smile. "No, excited."

He smiled at her. Catherine had been offered a job as co supervisor with Grissom, working side by side with him back on graveyard shift. The job had been perfected and she was starting in a week.

They stepped out of the car hand in hand. Lindsey ran ahead to hug each of them in turn. The night shift were cheering and whooping. Brass and Sophia were also there, jumping up and down. Catherine laughed as she disappeared for a moment under the hugs of her friends that had become family.

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They were finally settled after a week in Vegas. Lindsey was enrolled again in the Butterfly Academy Private School. Catherine was working nights with Grissom.

He was napping on the couch when Catherine came down the stairs, dressed neatly in a form fitting blazer and slacks. He raised an eyebrow as he woke up to watch her shrug her purse onto her shoulders.

"Where you going?" he asked.

"I got some unfinished business." She said, kissing him gently on the lips. "Don't wait up."

He was about to stop her. To tell her that he was coming with her to make sure she was safe. It was dusk and soon it would be dark. He didn't feel safe letting her go anywhere alone at the moment, especially not after the couple of scares that they had had.

She seemed to know what was on his mind. "Don't worry Gil. I'll be fine. My gun's in my purse and my cell phone's on okay? Try not to worry. I'll be home before you know it. This is just something I need to do alone."

Grissom dropped it. She had that look in her eye that told him that no amount of arguing would change her mind. Obviously this was something important. He gave her a swift hard kiss before letting her go. She gave him a smile and made her way to the car.

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Catherine knelt before a cold marble tombstone as the desert wind whipped her hair. She laid down a single rose on the stone as she traced her fingers on the carved name on it.

_Edward Willows_

_Forgiven but not forgotten_

_And_

_A blessing in disguise_

She closed her eyes and finally came to terms with her past, her present and her future.

"Eddie, you have been nothing but cruel to me. Your abuse, your cruelty left me in shambles and Lindsey traumatized, but part of living is forgiving and moving on. I've done that. They say you can't hate someone's who's dead. They were right. I can't hate you anymore, because I know that if you hadn't done what you had done to me, I would have never found my way to Gil. You were the broken road that led me straight to him.

For that I will always remember you and I will always be grateful for you. You're lying in the place where I should have been. But many people and God has shown me grace for my mistakes and I'll show you grace for yours. Rest in peace, Eddie."

With that, Catherine rose. Her past was etched in every part of her, but now, she embraced it. Embraced with a gladness that was beautiful as it was radiant. The past made her who she was, her strength and own independence came from it. For that she was very glad.

When she got home, Grissom was asleep. He awoke when she slipped under the covers beside him, however.

"You finished your business?" he asked.

She nodded as she snuggled closer to him. "Yeah." She said with a smile. "It's done."

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Author's Note:

One more epilogue and that's it. I had to put in the part about Eddie since I think he was the start of everything so maybe it was just right to the major part of the story with him, but then put in a scene of Catherine's life now. One more chapter with the aftermath of all this. Enjoy!


	15. The End Or is it?

The End…Or Is it?

Thanks to Daydreamer1127, Dardeile, DrusillaBraun, sergeant happy bunny, Pandy Roxy Chick, megslife, CissaMalfoy, blank person, and jwoods471 for their reviews! Thanks a million!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to this show.

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"HERE COMES THE BRIDE!" Greg screeched at the top of his lungs.

Warrick clapped a hand over his mouth and made a face. Greg was way too hyper for his likes, or anyone else's for that matter. Warrick was wondering how much the younger CSI had had to drink. He dragged Greg and plopped him down onto one of the seats in the first row. Then he moved back to his position beside Nick and Grissom at the altar.

Sara and Sofia were Catherine's bridesmaids. Both looked very elegant in their matching blue gowns. Lindsey seemed to be extremely excited as she played her role as flowergirl with a very grown up manner.

Then all at once everyone stood up. Grissom's head turned from the altar to the woman standing in the doorway decked out in a simple white gown with a veil. Lindsey was smiling as her mother walked down the aisle toward Grissom. His eyes were soft and hers were teary as she stopped before him and stared into his eyes, seeing all the love and warmth she would ever need in life in them.

In Catherine's mind, she envisioned her first wedding. The feeling she had then was nothing compared to what she felt now. When she married Eddie, it had been infatuation and stress had made her steps fast and insecure. Now when she watched Grissom watching her, her steps were slow and confident. Her heart was exploding with joy and she knew that no matter how many scarred memories she had, Grissom would be the one to erase all the scars and to help her to her feet every time she fell.

They exchanged vows as Catherine's family, everyone, watched. Lisa dabbed her eyes gently with a tissue while her mother was just crying furiously. Grissom's mother was watching with shining eyes, glad that her only child had finally found the one he had been looking for. She sincerely she could hear the exchange of vows, but reading their lips was good enough for her.

When the vows were finished, the preacher announced that Grissom could kiss the bride. He lifted her veil and stared into her eyes.

And then, he hesitated.

Silence lingered throughout the church as Grissom's mind suddenly began to wrap itself around how lucky he was. He understood how close he had come to losing her forever, twice. He grasped her hand in his and traced the ring on her finger, beaming at the fact for the rest of their lives she was his, to love, to hold, and to cherish.

"They're waiting." She murmured softly, her blue eyes catching his. Her soft words spoke volumes of love and devotion she felt toward the man who had saved her twice, befriended her, and then carried her through her countless mistakes.

He pulled her close to him and kissed her with every ounce of passion and love he felt. The kiss lingered even after they pulled away and cheers erupted all around them.

He took her hand as they ran down the aisle toward the door. She laughed as she threw the bouquet of flowers behind her, where it landed straight into Sara's hands. The brunette gaped as Nick went down on one knee. Grissom beamed as Catherine flashed him a wink. He pulled her closer to him, kissing her temple.

"I guess darling this is the end of our story." He whispered in her ear.

She caught his hand and then faced him, standing a little bit on tip toe to reach his ear. "This isn't the end Gil. This is just the beginning."

The End….Or is it?

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Author's Note:

:Cue the AWWWWWWS: Ok that's the end. I've been asked to write an alternate ending with a depressing ending, so I will later. I'm currently going through a House obsession so all my other fics will probably be on hold until I get my much needed fix of that annoying, sarcastic cripple that I love so much.


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